Brockville, Ont. mayor resigns after buying 'dream house' outside of the city
Jason Baker has resigned as mayor of Brockville, Ont. after the purchase of his dream home outside of the eastern Ontario city disqualified him from office.
The city of Brockville announced Baker's resignation at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, the city says Baker is "no longer qualified to hold office due to his non-residency status within the city of Brockville" under the Municipal Act and the Ontario Municipal Elections Act.
Baker was first elected to Brockville City Council in December 1997. He was elected mayor in the 2018 municipal election.
"It has been an absolute honour to represent this beautiful city," said a statement from Baker released by the city announcing he had stepped down as mayor.
"I regret that the purchase of my dream home has unknowingly caused this issue and will keep me from finishing some of the work that we all started together. I wish all of you the best of luck in our shared goal of keeping the City of Brockville thriving into the future."
In an interview with Bruce Wylie on Move 104.9 Thursday morning, Baker said he thought because he owned a business in Brockville he would still be able to finish the term as mayor.
"I was under the same impression, but I guess it’s a bit of a technicality in that most accountants would advise their clients to set up a numbered company to buy a business," said Baker.
"It just simply protects your business assets from your family assets and vice versa."
Baker says he always thought he was eligible to serve as mayor after buying his dream house.
"When I learned I wasn't I offered my resignation and council was reluctant to accept it. They found a way around the Municipal Act clause that the Integrity Commissioner suggested, but it didn't seem to uphold the spirit of that act and I felt it wasn't the right thing to do."
Baker did not plan to seek reelection in the 2022 municipal election.
Coun. Jane Fullerton will serve as Acting Mayor for October.
Brockville City Council will declare the mayor's seat vacant at an upcoming meeting and announce their decisions on how to proceed. The Municipal Act permits Brockville City Council 90 days to make their decision on how they intend to fill the vacancy.
The next municipal election is scheduled for October 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.