George Darouze resigns from city council following provincial seat win

Wad 20 Councillor George Darouze officially handed in his resignation Friday, states a memo from Ottawa’s City Clerk.

The announcement comes after Darouze won a seat in the provincial election for Carleton as a member of the PC Party.

The seat will not officially be declared vacant until the next council meeting on March 26, but the memo outlines the transfer of responsibilities as well as next steps for the city.

Until a new councillor is sworn into office, approval of Ward 20 matters will be provided by Councillors David Brown and Catherine Kitts. All payments and expenses from the Ward 20 Office Budget will be approved through the City Clerk and the Manager of Governance, Elected Officials and Business Support Services.

Within 60 days of the seat being declared vacant – no later than May 25 – City Council must appoint an eligible individual to fill the seat or declare a by-election.

“To assist residents during the transition period, a dedicated ward20@ottawa.ca e-mail has been created and the Ward 20 Office remains staffed to address day-to-day constituency needs,” the memo reads. All new information can be found on the city’s website.