Nominations for Diamond Valley's first election close on Oct. 31

The deadline for nominations to run in the first Diamond Valley municipal election is noon on Oct. 31.

Nominations for the role of councillor or mayor will be accepted at either Black Diamond or Turner Valley town offices until then.

So far, seven people are known to have put their names forward to run for council. No one has put their hand up to run for the mayor's seat yet, at least not publicly. 

Six councillors and one mayor will form Diamond Valley Town Council, and voters in Turner Valley and Black Diamond will make history when they cast ballots in the first election for the new Municipality of Diamond Valley on Nov. 28.

Five of the seven known candidates currently hold council seats. Heather Thomson and Veronica Kloiber serve on Black Diamond council, while Hazel Martin, Cindy Holladay, and Curtis Dixon sit on Turner Valley council.    

Dale Harrison and Mykayla Bergie are the two named candidates who do not currently have a seat at a council table.

They gave the go-ahead for election officials to publish their names prior to the close of nominations. Nominations become final at noon on Nov. 1. The final list of those who are running in the election will be posted on Nov. 2.

Although the election is in November, the amalgamation of the two communities does not take effect until Jan.1. The incoming council will be sworn in at an organizational meeting no later than 60 days after the election.   

Between Jan.1 and the swearing-in of the new council, all elected officials from Turner Valley and Black Diamond will form the interim council of the Town of Diamond Valley.   

Based on feedback from residents, Diamond Valley will be represented by an at-large electoral system, which is the system in use now in both communities, rather than by a ward system.   

The towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley got approval from the Province in May to go ahead with amalgamation.

Elected officials of Black Diamond and Turner Valley voted in favour of amalgamation in two separate votes held before and after the municipal elections last October.   

The later vote was requested by Alberta Municipal Affairs to check whether the incoming councils in both towns still supported the proposed merger, and both votes passed with identical results.   

Black Diamond council voted 4-3 in support of amalgamating, while Turner Valley council gave unanimous support to the proposal.