Westlock County’s Division 3 will not be without a councillor for long, as a byelection has been called to replace former councillor and newly elected MLA Maureen Kubinec.
Electors will have the opportunity to go to the polls June 25, assuming more than one candidate puts his or her name forward by the May 28 nomination deadline.
Councillors were in agreement at their May 8 meeting that a byelection should be held.
“It seemed pretty clear from our ratepayers’ meeting they want us to have one,” Coun. Ron Zadunayski said.
Kubinec held the seat for 18 months before taking a leave of absence to run her provincial election campaign. Although election results did not become official until May 3, Kubinec penned a letter of resignation April 24, the day after the election. “It was an honour to sit as the deputy reeve and to work with not only my fellow councillors but with the staff as well,” she wrote.
Reeve Charles Navratil said he felt it would be a good idea to fill the empty seat, since it will be close to a year and a half before the next municipal election.
“We have to fill the void of losing Maureen,” he said, adding it’s important to have representatives in each of the county’s divisions.
Furthermore, having seven sitting councillor around the table instead of six means there will not be any tied votes.
All municipalities in Alberta will have elections Oct. 21, 2013 — with the exception of Lloydminster, which is on Saskatchewan’s election schedule.
Navratil said this byelection will be a good way for residents of the division to get involved with their municipal government, and a good way for anyone thinking about running for a full term to “get their feet wet.”
“It’s a good experience to put your name forward,” he said.
All residents of voting age in the division are eligible to run for the position.
The boundaries of Division 3 in Westlock County are Township Road 590 to the south, the county’s border to the west and Township Road 620 to the north.
The eastern border of the division follows the Fifth Meridian north to Township Road 610, then follows the Pembina River north from there.
Nomination papers are available at the county office, and must be filed by May 28. Advance polls are scheduled for Saturday, June 16, at the county office.
