Richmond Hill City Council

Richmond Hill City Council is the governing body for the Canadian city of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Council serves a four-year term, after which a new council is elected by qualified electors in Richmond Hill. ^[1] Richmond Hill City Council consists of a Mayor, six Ward Councillors and two Regional and Local Councillors. The mayor and the regional and local councillors additionally serve on the York Regional Council representing the interests of the residents of Richmond Hill. ^[2]

The mayor serves as the leader of council, presiding over meetings to maintain order, and calling special meetings when needed. ^[3] The mayor and councillors both propose, oversee the administration and finances of Richmond Hill and direction the operations of the city's departments, as well as meeting with residents and government agencies to discuss issues relevant to Richmond Hill and its residents. ^[1]

Current council (2022-2026)

Position	Councillor	Communities
Mayor	David West	At-large
Regional & Local/ Deputy Mayor	Godwin Chan	At-large
Regional & Local	Joe DiPaola	At-large
Ward 1	Carol Davidson	Oak Ridges
Ward 2	Scott Thompson	Devonsleigh, Crosby
Ward 3	Castro Liu	Rouge Woods, Bayview Hill
Ward 4	Simon Cui	Jefferson, Westbrook, Mill Pond
Ward 5	Karen Cilevitz	Yongehurst, Richvale, Beverley Acres
Ward 6	Micheal Shiu	Observatory, Bayview Glen, Doncrest

Dave Barrow was elected mayor in 2018 but in September 2021, he announced that he would be leaving the position. ^[4] Deputy mayor Joe Di Paola served as acting mayor after Barrow's resignation until a by-election could be held to elect a permanent replacement. Ward 4 councillor David West won the by-election held from January 18-24th, 2022 and he was sworn in as mayor the following day. ^[5] Raika Sheppard was appointed by council to fill the vacancy of West's former seat until November 14, 2022. ^[6]

Municipal departments

City Council oversees the municipal departments, which deliver a variety of services to the residents of Richmond Hill. The city has a Community Services Department, Corporate & Financial Services Department, Environment & Infrastructure Services Department, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and Planning & Regulatory Services Department. ^[7]

The city’s Corporate & Financial Services Department is responsible for providing direction, policy advice and leadership to and through the Financial Services, Information Technology and City Clerk’s Divisions. It provides expert financial, administrative and technical services to ensure supports are in place for internal and external clients and partners. ^[8]

The Environment & Infrastructure Services Department oversees the design, construction and overall management of the City’s municipal infrastructure and environmental programs. The Department has a strategic focus on the direction and management of environmental services and initiatives that support future needs and interests of the community. The integration of all design and construction projects for facilities, parks, roads, water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure resides in this Department. ^[9]

The Chief Administrative Office provides Corporate leadership in the overall management of the City's five departments. In this role, the Chief Administrative Officer reviews and approves all recommendations made to Council and Committees of Council, and manages corporate strategic planning. The Chief Administrative Officer acts as department head to the Legal Division, Human Resources and the Office of Strategic Initiatives. ^[10]

The Community Services Department delivers the integrated front line services required to provide for an active, attractive, safe and connected community. The department includes Fire & Emergency Services, Parks Operations, Public Works Operations and Recreation & Culture. The Community Services Department is responsible for delivering Fire & Emergency Services programs, maintaining parks, road repair and replacement, garbage & recycling programs, operation of the City's water & wastewater infrastructure, delivery of recreational & cultural programs and managing the city's recreational facilities. The department also runs special events, such as Concerts in the Park and The Reel Thing , a local film festival. ^[11]

The Community Services Department also runs the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Planning & Regulatory Services Department provides Planning and Building related services to Council, other departments and the general public. Each division within the department has responsibility for various stages and aspects of land development and construction of buildings, as well as the administration of various City by-laws. It responds to the specific needs of Council, the public and the development industry. ^[12]

History

Richmond Hill was incorporated as a village in 1873, and the village council consisted of a reeve and four village councillors. The councillors were the top four vote-getters of all persons running for the job. The reeve and councillors served one-year terms. Richmond Hill was incorporated as a town in 1957, and the town council was expanded to include a mayor, a reeve, a deputy reeve and four town councillors. In 1966, the council began to serve two-year terms, rather than the previous one-year terms. The council was reorganised in 1971 after the incorporation of York Region to have a mayor, two regional councillors shared with York Region Council, and six town councillors. 1970 had also seen Richmond Hill expand from 1,700 acres (6.9 km²) to 27,000 acres (110 km²) and from 19000 residents to 34000 residents with the annexation of land from Whitchurch Township, Markham Township, Vaughan Township and King Township. ^[13] In 1982, the terms of councillors were extended to three years, and in 2006 the terms were extended to four years. In March 2019, Richmond Hill was designated a city.

Abraham Law, the first reeve of Richmond Hill

William Harrison and wife. Harrison was the reeve in 1874

William Trench III, reeve from 1875 - 1879 and 1881 - 1882

John Brown, reeve 1883/1884

Jacob Lunau, reeve 1926 - 1932

Year	Reeve	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor
1873 [14]	Abraham Law	Jacob Brillinger	David Hopkins	William Powell	William S. Warren
1874	William Harrison	William Atkinson	Isaac Crosby	John Brown	Asa B. Wilson
1875	William Trench III	Denis C. O'Brien		William Pogue
1876		Peter G. Savage			William Powell
1877
1878			James Langstaff	Benjamin Redditt
1879			Francis McConaghy
1880	James Langstaff	Christopher Duncumb	Isaac Crosby		William H. Pugsley
1881	William Trench III		John H. Sanderson
1882
1883	John Brown	Henry F. Hopper		Isaac Crosby
1884			Robert E. Law		Alexander Moodie
1885	William H. Pugsley	Peter G. Savage	Francis McConaghy	William Powell	Benjamin Redditt
1886
1887
1888			William J. Wilson	William A. Sanderson	William Atkinson
1889
1890
1891
1892			John Brydon	Jeremiah Mortson	John Palmer
1893			William Atkinson
1894
1895
1896			John H. Sanderson
1897	Peter G. Savage	William Innes		William A. Wright
1898			David Hill		Henry F. Hopper
1899				John Palmer	Thomas H. Trench
1900				Reuben W. Glass
1901				William Furey
1902
1903			John P. Glass	James Paulin
1904
1905				Isaac Crosby
1906	Isaac Crosby	Hesse A. Nicholls		John H. Sanderson
1907	William H. Pugsley		Edward Barker
1908		David Sloan
1909		Herbert H. Hopper	John Palmer
1910		George S. Sims
1911					John Tyndall
1912
1913
1914			John Hickson
1915
1916
1917		Jacob Lunau	George A. McDonald	Joseph A. Monkman	Thomas H. Trench
1918
1919	Thomas H. Trench		John A. Greene		David Hill
1920
1921			Norman Batty
1922
1923
1924		John A. Greene	Robert N. Endean	James McLean	William H. Pugsley
1925			Jacob Lunau
1926	Jacob Lunau		Walter G. Baldock	J. Roy Herrington	Gordon H. Sloan
1927		James McLean
1928			David Hill	A. Chapman [15]
1929		Henry Davis	Frederick J. Mansbridge	Wesley Middleton	Frank E. Sims
1930			Albert Chapman
1931 [16]		David Hill	James McLean	Harold Mills	Joseph Monkman
1932			J.A. Greene
1933	J.A. Greene	Alex Little	Wes Middleton		James McLean
1934					William Neal
1935			James McLean
1936					Percy Hill
1937			Christian Nelson
1938
1939
1940	Thomas Trench	Robert Little	Wes Middleton	William Neal	Dr. J.P. Wilson
1941
1942
1943	J.A. Greene	Allan Bales		Percy Hills	Ralph Paris
1944	William Neal
1945
1946
1947		Cecil Mabley
1948	Percy Hill			W.J. Taylor	Ken Tomlin
1949
1950	J.A. Greene [Note 1]				Floyd Perkins
1951		Ken Tomlin
1952	W.J. Taylor			Jack Rice
1953
1954				Harold Jones
1955
1956			Donald Plaxton
In 1957, with the incorporation of Richmond Hill as a town, the positions of Mayor and Deputy Reeve were added to the council
Year	Mayor	Reeve	Deputy Reeve	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor
1957	William Neal	W.J. Taylor	Floyd Perkins	James Haggart	Harold Jones	Donald Plaxton	Stanley Tinker
1958	Ken Tomlin		Donald Plaxton		James Bradstock	Joseph Patterson
1959		Floyd Perkins	Stanley Tinker				Robert Ross
1960		James Haggart		Thomas Broadhurst		Margaret Southwell	Howard Whillans
1961	James Haggart	Floyd Perkins	John Bradstock		Alan White
1962			Thomas Broadhurst	Alex Campbell			John MacDiarmid
1963	William Neal		Stanley Tinker			Thomas Murphy	Walter Scudds
1964	Thomas Broadhurst	James Haggart		Lois Hancey	William Lazenby	Robert Saunders
1965		Donald Plaxton	Floyd Perkins			Eric Handbury
1966/67						John MacDiarmid	Ivan Mansbridge
1968/69
1970	William Lazenby		Ivan Mansbridge		Shaun Beggs	Eric George	David Schiller
In 1971, with the incorporation of York Region, the council was again reorganised.
Year	Mayor	Regional Councillor	Regional Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor	Councillor
1971/72	William Lazenby	Donald Plaxton	Gordon Rowe	Shaun Beggs	Stewart Bell	Andrew Chateauvert	Lois Hancey	David Schiller	Lou Wainwright
1973/74		Lois Hancey		William Corcoran	Graeme Bales		David Stephenson	Charles Stewart
1975/76	David Schiller				John Birchall		Marylo Graham	Mike Burnie	Al Duffy
1977/78			Lou Wainwright
1979/80		Gordon Rowe				David Amos	David Barrow
1981/82	Al Duffy		Lois Hancey		Doug Smith	Bill Bell		Bob Cage	Frank Gallant
1982-85
1985-88				Tom Simpson			Gail Blackburn		Bryon Wilfert
1988-91	Bill Bell [17]	Frank Endean			Janet Mabley	David Cohen [18]		Catherine Bishop
1991-94		Gail Blackburn	Isabelle Gargarella				Jane Robertson
1994-97			Janet Mabley	Vito Spatafora [19]	Brenda Hogg			Nick Papa [20]
1997-00		David Barrow [21]					David Bishop		Joe DiPaola [22]
2000-03			Brenda Hogg		Arnie Warner [23]		Lynn Foster
2003-06 [24]								Elio Di Iorio
2006-10	David Barrow [Note 2]	Vito Spatafora		Greg Beros				Nick Papa	Godwin Chan
2010-14					Carmine Perrelli	Castro Liu
2014-18					Tom Muench		David West [Note 3]	Karen Cilevitz
2018-22		Joe DiPaola	Carmine Perrelli
2021-2022	Joe DiPaola (Acting)						Raika Sheppard (From March 22, 2022 - Nov 15, 2022)
2022-26	David West		Godwin Chan	Carol Davidson	Scott Thompson		Simon Cui		Micheal Shiu

Deputy Mayor

• Vito Spatafora - 2006-2018
• Carmine Perrelli - 2018-2021 (Council in Sept 2021 decided to have one Deputy Mayor instead of Two)
• Joe DiPaola - 2018-2022 (Sole Deputy Mayor from Sept 2021 - Nov 2022, served as Acting Mayor from February 2021 to January 2022 during Dave Barrow's leave of absence and eventual resignation until David West was elected in the Jan 2022 by-election)
• Godwin Chan - 2022–Present

Notes

1. Greene died in January 1951, and William Neal was elected reeve in February 1951.
2. Barrow retired from council on September 15, 2021. A by-election was held on January 18–24, 2022 where Ward 4 Councillor David West was elected as mayor. West will be mayor for the remainder of the term until the next election in October 2022.
3. Vacant as of January 25, 2022. West was elected as mayor in a by-election and vacated his Ward 4 seat.

References

1. "Members of Council". City of Richmond Hill.
2. "Council Members". York Region.
3. "Mayor of Richmond Hill". City of Richmond Hill.
4. Freeman, Joshua (September 14, 2021). "Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow says he is stepping down". CTV News Toronto. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
5. "Certified Candidates". www.richmondhill.ca. 2021-12-20. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
6. "Richmond Hill Council Appoints Ward 4 Councillor". City of Richmond Hill. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
7. "Departments". City of Richmond Hill.
8. "Corporate & Financial Services Department". City of Richmond Hill.
9. "Environment & Infrastructure Services Department". City of Richmond Hill.
10. "Office of the Chief Administrative Officer". City of Richmond Hill.
11. "Community Services Department". City of Richmond Hill.
12. "Planning & Development Department". City of Richmond Hill.
13. Marney Beck Robinson and Joan M. Clark (2000). The Challenging Seventies . Later Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community from 1930 to 1999. City of Richmond Hill/Richmond Hill Public Library Board. ISBN   0-9695376-1-1.
14. Robert M. Stamp (1991). "Appendix F. Community Organizations". Early Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community to 1930. City of Richmond Hill Public Library.
15. J. Roy Herrington occupied this seat until February 28, 1928
16. Marney Beck Robinson and Joan M. Clark (1999). Later Days in Richmond Hill - A History of the Community from 1930 to 1999 . City of Richmond Hill/Richmond Hill Public Library Board. ISBN   0-9695376-1-1.
17. Courtney Paoletti, Andrei Zaretski and Neil Springer. "Mayoral Race". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
18. "Profile of Councillor David L. Cohen".
19. "Biography". Vito Spatafora.
20. "Return Nick Papa councillor for Ward 5" (PDF). Chief Financial Officer for the Nick Papa Election Campaign.
21. "Dave Barrow Profile" (PDF).
22. "Joe Di Paola - Conservative". Rogers Television.
23. "About Arnie".
24. "Official Municipal Election Results for the Town of Richmond Hill". City of Richmond Hill. 12 November 2003.