BARRHEAD-It's official: municipal voters will be heading to the polls in October to elect new councillors for both the Town and County of Barrhead.
On Tuesday, Sept. 21 at noon, the deadline for withdrawing a nomination from October's municipal election passed, guaranteeing that there would be elections for the council for both the town and county.
The Pembina Hills School Division will also see a race in two of the Barrhead area's three trustee seats.
For the Town of Barrhead, the race for mayor will see incumbent mayor Dave McKenzie attempt to seek his second term in office. Opposing him is 20-year-old Liam Sorrenson.
Nine candidates are running for the six available council spots. Four incumbents, Don Smith, Ty Assaf, Rod Klumph and Dausen Kluin are seeking to retain their seats.
They are challenged by Stephen Bablitz, Shannon Harris, Anthony Oswald (husband of retiring councillor Shelly Oswald), Dave Sawatzky and Shauna Lynn Zeldenrust.
County of Barrhead races
The County of Barrhead will see races in Division 1, Division 2, Division 4 and Division 5.
In Division 1, incumbent councillor and current reeve Doug Drozd will face Debra Boyle.
Division 2 sees two-term councillor and deputy reeve Marvin Schatz face off with Davis Sotnikow.
In Division 4, three people - Amanda Lambert, Ivan Kusal and Lorrie Jespersen - are looking to unseat long-time councillor Bill Lane, who has held the seat since 2001.
In Division 5, Darren Strawson, Folkert Miedema and Paul Properzi are looking to fill the seat of retiring councillor Darrell Troock.
Ron Kleinfeldt and Walter Preugschas have been acclaimed in Division 3 and 6 respectively.
For a time, it looked like there was going to be a race in Division 7. On Friday, Sept. 17, incumbent Coun. Dennis Nanninga submitted his nomination papers joining Jared Stoik for the race for the division.
However, at the Sept. 21 council meeting, Nanninga withdrew his name from consideration.
Pembina Hills races
On the Barrhead side of the division, Victoria Kane will be acclaimed as the trustee for Pembina Hills West-Ward 1, while incumbent Judy Lefebvre will take on former Alberta Learning Distance Centre teacher Gary Frederickson for the Ward 3 seat. Ward 1 (Pembina West) includes Neerlandia Public Christian School and Dunstable School. Ward 3 (Town of Barrhead) includes Barrhead Elementary, Barrhead Composite High School and the Outreach school.
Cindy Carswell and Melissa Hanna will contest for the final trustee position in the Barrhead region, in Ward 2. The ward includes the schools in Fort Assiniboine and Swan Hills.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
