New Guelph councillor sworn in
City council held a special meeting on Wednesday to fill the Ward 6 seat vacated when former councillor Dominique O'Rourke successfully ran during the federal election in May.
Councillors decided to directly choose the replacement by voting from a pool of candidates instead of holding a byelection or asking the runner up in the last municipal election to fill the role.
Over the course of almost three hours, 26 candidates got their chance to address council and gave a 5-minute pitch for why they should be chosen to fill the vacancy.
After that, the voting process began. The candidates were read aloud in alphabetical order and councillors were asked to cast a vote for their preferred option. Any candidate who received no votes would be removed from contention and another vote would be held. If anyone received at least seven votes during a round they would be declared the winner.
The candidates were whittled down to two finalists after one round of voting, leaving only Rebecca Adam and Katherine Hauser.
The second round of voting ended in a tie, with six votes apiece.
To break the tie, both names were written on a piece of card stock and put inside a box. A name was drawn out and Katherine Hauser became the newest Guelph city councillor.
She was sworn in moments later and will now be representing Ward 6 alongside Councillor Ken Yee Chew.
Who is Katherine Hauser?
According to Hauser's personal statement submitted to council, the single mother of four has lived in Guelph since she was 16 years old.
A former downtown business owner, Hauser and her husband owned two bars – Doogie's and Pablo's – until 2012.
Hauser attended the University of Guelph, majoring in political science, as well as criminal justice and public policy.
In 2022, Hauser was elected as a trustee with the Upper Grand District School Board, representing Ward 6 and Puslinch Township. For the last three years, she's served the board as vice chair and has sat on several committees.
Hauser also serves as a steward with the United Steelworkers.
'In every space I occupy, I have earned a reputation for showing up, having done the work and I bring a steady, thoughtful and collaborative approach to complex issues,' she said.
'While my qualifications and experience are both relevant and strong, they are only part of why I am here. I am also a renter, a transit user, a longtime Guelph resident, a single parent of four now grown children and a former downtown business owner and employer. I know the squeeze that families are feeling and empathize with the seemingly unattainable goal of homeownership. I understand the urgency of issues like sustainable growth, affordability and inclusive planning.'
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