Despite some concerns from long-time volunteers, the Windsor Essex County Humane Society passed a new bylaw to transition the board to a self-governing model.
The model limits voting at the Annual General Meeting to board members. The change was made to align with updates to the Ontario Non-profit Corporations Act.
"The main priority of the humane society is its mission and ultimately the animals," said Board Chair Matt Carlini. "Together with the staff and the community, I think we can really focus on that mission and make sure we accomplish what we're here for."
The move raised concerns about transparency and accountability with some members of the public. Carlini said they are exploring a variety of ways to keep the public engaged moving forward.
"There's a variety of options and we're trying to scan other not-for-profit entities and see what the best practices are with respect to public engagement just so that we have a full perspective," said Carlini.
Anyone who purchased a membership with the expectation of having a vote at the AGM has been offered a refund or given the option to donate those funds to the humane society.
The search for a permanent executive director is ongoing after long-time executive Melanie Coulter was let go in the summer.
"We hope to be able to announce something very shortly. Going forward, and similar to how it was in the past, the board of directors effectively offers governance oversight over the organization but really the person who runs the organization is that executive director," said Carlini.
