Longview residents could vote in a second election this fall after one of three village councillors resigned on Friday. Carole Macleod filed her resignation from village council on Oct. 27, just three days after being sworn into office.
Longview residents could vote in a second election this fall after one of three village councillors resigned on Friday.
Carole Macleod filed her resignation from village council on Oct. 27, just three days after being sworn into office. Macleod, who has served on council for the last six years, was re-elected in the Oct. 16 municipal election, joining Coun. Christina Weir and Mayor Kathie Wight. Wight was appointed mayor during an organization meeting on Oct. 24.
MacLeod did return a phone call by the Western Wheel, but she refused to comment on her reasons for resigning.
The Village of Longview has now scheduled a byelection for Dec. 11
Walter Fox, who ran in the Oct. 16 election and lost out by only a handful of votes, submitted his letter of intent to run in the byelection Monday morning.
“I did a lot of soul searching,” he said. “I knew about (MacLeod's resignation) right after it happened. I really wasn't sure I wanted to. There is some discrepancy going on so do you really want to step into something?”
Fox said he mulled it over throughout the weekend and the answer was clear.
“I think as a community we have to work together to get anything done and we need to grow,” he said. “I would like to see our financial situation better and the only way that can happen is through growth.”
Anyone planning to run in the byelection has between 10 a.m. and noon on Nov. 9 to submit their nomination forms to the village office. If more than one person shows an interest, a byelection will take place Dec. 11.
Dale Harrison, chief administrative officer, said earlier this year Village staff and council, with public consultation, had discussed the possibility of having five councillors and getting citizens to vote for the mayor. Yet, recent elections in the village showed a low interest in people wanting to serve on council in the community of just over 300 people, he said.
“The majority of the elections here in the past have been by acclamation with a three-person council,” he said. “You don't get a lot of people stepping up for council positions. When you have an election for mayor if you have two people who are willing to run one wins and one loses so you've now lost a person that was interested in governance.”
In many rural municipalities, councils appoint a mayor among those elected, Harrison said.
“You get all your candidates to run and you have the option of becoming the mayor,” he said.
Harrison said the byelection will have some impacts on the Village, including financially.
He said the Village doesn’t know the full cost of the recent municipal election yet, because it has not received the bill for the contracted service. The last election in 2013 cost a couple thousand dollars and the advertising for this fall’s election alone cost close to $1,000, he said.
Harrison said municipalities are required under the election act to advertise, yet the Village plans to cut some costs this time by having notices with details about the byelection hand-delivered to households and keep advertising to the minimal amount required.
Another impact the byelection will have on the village is it will delay the budget process, said Harrison.
“Because we are a very small council, normally I would be starting to shift now into the budget and try to get the budget in place before the end of the year, or at least a draft budget,” he said. “You don't want to do that when you only have two people looking at the numbers. You want to have as many people as possible reviewing the numbers so you don't miss anything. I will start to do the preparation, but I can't bring it before anybody to review it.”
Harrison said he was glad to see Fox drop by the village office on Monday morning to file his application for his intent to run.
“We at least have one person,” he said. “In any election you want people to have a choice. Now I just want to get on with the business of the village, but it's up to the citizens.”
If the vacancy is filled by acclamation, Harrison said the new councillor can attend the already-scheduled training sessions with the rest of council. In the event of a byelection, the newly-elected councillor would have to attend training separately as it will have already taken place, he said.
“Unfortunately, these things happen,” he said. “Happening this close to having gone through the election creates questions, but it is what it is.”
