Sarnia council has asked staff to investigate how the creation of a city deputy mayor might impact voting at Lambton County Council.
Councillor Anne-Marie Gillis says they need to know how it's going to work before they proceed.
"So this will give us all of the process that we need in order to make that decision, if we have to make it and we were working in that direction anyway," she said.
The integrity commissioner, in his investigation into the conduct of Mayor Mike Bradley, recommended that creation of a deputy mayor's position and executive committee be considered.
The city currently has a rotating system for the position of an acting mayor, when Bradley is absent.
Council is expected to discuss the matter further at its next meeting September 12.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley announced early Tuesday that he's having surgery in London to remove cancer from his left ear.
The mayor said in a news release that it's his fourth operation of this nature.
He says he'll be returning to Sarnia after the surgery and will be available to the public and media by email and telephone during his recovery period, the length of which is undetermined.
