The election is over. What happens to Sarnia’s police board now?

Sarnia’s municipal election will change the makeup of the civilian board overseeing its police service. With one councillor leaving, another eligible to return, a community position open for applications and the incoming mayor already holding a provincial appointment, several decisions remain ahead.

Sarnia’s municipal election has determined who will lead the city for the next four years, but it has also set changes in motion for the civilian board responsible for overseeing the Sarnia Police Service.

The election means the police board will need a new council representative following the defeat of vice-chair Anne Marie Gillis, while councillor Chrissy McRoberts, who currently occupies the position normally reserved for the mayor, was re-elected and could continue serving. Incoming mayor Carrie McEachran is already a member of the board through a provincial appointment that runs until 2029, adding another consideration to the transition.

Meanwhile, Ontario has renewed board chair Kelly Ash’s appointment for another two years, and the City of Sarnia is accepting applications for the board’s community representative position.

Under Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act, Sarnia’s police board consists of five members: two appointed by the provincial government, two representing municipal council and one community representative appointed by council. One of the municipal positions ordinarily belongs to the mayor, although another councillor can be appointed when the mayor chooses not to serve.

Sarnia has used that arrangement since 2023, when outgoing mayor Mike Bradley stepped away from the board and McRoberts was appointed in his place. Council renewed her appointment in November 2024, preserving Bradley’s right to return. McRoberts won re-election to city and county council on October 26, making her eligible to continue serving on the police board if selected under the incoming administration.

Gillis, however, will not return to council after finishing fifth in the four-seat city councillor contest. Her current police board appointment is scheduled to end November 14, the final day of the outgoing council’s term, leaving the incoming council to select another elected representative for the position she currently occupies.

McEachran’s election creates an unusual situation because she already holds one of the province’s two appointments, while McRoberts occupies the seat normally reserved for the mayor. The Ontario government appointed McEachran to the board on March 26, and her term is scheduled to continue until March 25, 2029. How those positions will be handled under the incoming council has not been publicly announced.

The province’s other appointment is held by Ash, whose membership has been renewed through October 20, 2028. According to Ontario’s Public Appointments Secretariat, her new two-year term began October 21, continuing her membership on the board through the change in municipal government.

The fifth seat is occupied by Gerald Bernardo, the community representative appointed by city council earlier this year. The city has opened applications for the position, with residents given until 4:30 p.m. on November 4 to apply.

Unlike the two municipal positions occupied by elected officials, the community representative must be someone who is neither a councillor nor a municipal employee. Council is responsible for selecting the appointee, meaning the incoming council will also determine who fills that position.

The new council’s term begins November 15, with its inaugural meeting scheduled for November 16. The police board’s next scheduled meeting is December 10, although a timetable for the municipal appointments has not been announced.

With Gillis leaving council, McRoberts eligible to return and applications open for the community position, the incoming council has decisions to make about its representation on the board. McEachran’s existing provincial appointment adds another question to that process, leaving the final makeup of Sarnia’s five-member police board to be determined.