MISSISSIPPI MILLS – After hopeful candidates spent hours on applications; council members spent even more time going over those applications and interviewing candidates; roughly 20 minutes of voting; Mississippi Mills picked their new deputy mayor out of a hat.

Mississippi Mills appointed former councillor Rickey Minnille to the new deputy mayor position following a roughly month-long process to fill the vacant position following the death of former deputy mayor John Levi.

Council held a roughly 20-minute meeting last night (March 28) to vote on the new deputy mayor. The Ron Caron Auditorium was filled to capacity with residents interested in the result. For years, Mississippi Mills council has been a ‘do not miss’ event following the perceived erosion of trust between the public based on some of the decisions council made during the last term.

In a council meeting on Feb. 19, council voted to fill the deputy mayor by appointment rather than through by-election. Standing for the position were David Hinks, Rickey Minnille, Steve Maynard, Jane Torrance, Paul Watters and Philip Wood.

The first round of voting involved councillors picking their top three candidates. This process eliminated three applicants from the process.

After the second round, Minnille and former councillor Paul Watters tied for the top spot. The final selection was made by a draw out of a hat.