We received this press release today.
For Immediate Release, July 10, 2018
Jane Torrance, a long-serving Councillor in Mississippi Mills, filed her papers yesterday for the position of Deputy Mayor in the fall municipal election. Torrance has represented the Almonte Ward of Mississippi Mills for 3 terms, and in this most recent term (2014 – 2018) has also represented Mississippi Mills at Lanark County Council, along with the Mayor.
This is the first time that voters will be able to elect a Deputy Mayor in Mississippi Mills. The position was created as part of the reform to Mississippi Mills Council that resulted from the majority “yes” response to the 2014 question on the ballot: Given that Town Council is currently composed of 11 members, do you support a change in the composition of Council beginning in the year 2018 to 7 members, with a mayor and deputy mayor elected at large, 1 ward councillor for Pakenham, 2 ward councillors for Ramsay and 2 ward councillors for Almonte?
The duties and responsibilities of the Deputy Mayor in Mississippi Mills will be to fulfill her normal duties as a member of Council under the Municipal Act and to assist the Mayor in carrying out the Mayoral responsibilities. In addition, the Deputy Mayor will also serve as a member of Lanark County Council. Currently, the Mayor is automatically appointed to County Council, and a second member from Mississippi Mills is appointed at the inaugural meeting of Council. Torrance was elected by her peers to fill this position in 2014.
Torrance states that, “In effect, when my elected colleagues put their faith in me in 2014, and chose me to be their representative at County Council, I took on the role of Deputy Mayor, and have worked in that capacity these past four years. Now that I can campaign for this position, I hope the people of Mississippi Mills will put their faith in me to continue this work.”
At Mississippi Mills Council, Torrance sat on the key leadership committees in this term, including the Community Policing Advisory Committee, Municipal Emergency Control Group (as alternate to Mayor), Striking Committee, and Hiring Committee (Planner and CAO), as well as many committees, working groups and ad hoc committees such as Gemmill Park Working Group, Pakenham Library Building Committee, plus a 2-year term on Community and Economic Development.
At Lanark County Council, Torrance chaired the Economic Development Committee for 2 years, championed and chaired the Public Transit Working Group, sat on the Lanark County Award of Excellence Selection Committee, represented Lanark County at Valley Heartland Community Futures Development Corporation, and was a key driver and an active participant on the Strategic Planning Leadership Team.
Torrance is a professionally trained facilitator and works as a consultant in this field, and is an exceptionally active community volunteer. She is married to Michael Kehoe, and they have four adult children and one grandchild.
