By election Oct. 19 for vacant town council position

By Rob Vogt
With the resignation of Craig Zimmer from Claresholm town council, voters will go to the polls to fill the vacant council position on Oct. 19.
The decision came at council’s July 20 meeting, after a long discussion.
Karine Keys, who has served as chief returning officer for several municipal elections and byelections, said she proposed Oct. 19 because that was the day of the Alberta referendum.
She said people are out voting already and that may increase turn out for the municipal election.
Keys noted voter turnout was 39.3 per cent for last year’s general election.
Coun. Kandice Meister said Oct. 19 gives people time for discussion and thought, while Coun. Seth Wagner said it will provide time to campaign.
Keys also proposed the vote be held at the Willow Creek Agriplex, which is just across the parking lot from the community centre where the referendum vote will be held.
Coun. David Knox asked if the municipal vote could be held at the community centre.
Keys said Elections Alberta is not opposed to that idea, but would likely not allow it. The municipal election would be in the lodge room whose entrance is beside the main hall’s entrance, which may be too close for safety reasons.
Mayor Brad Schlossberger agreed with holding the vote at the agriplex because he did not want to subject the staff to any “referendum chaos”.
Council then went ahead and made the decisions necessary to hold the byelection.
They appointed Karine Keys as chief returning officer and Abe Tinney, Jennifer Place, Tracy Stewart and Patrick Gaede as substitute returning officers for the byelection.
Council agreed to hold a byelection for the position of one councillor on Monday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the polling station at the Claresholm Agriplex located at 380 – 59th Avenue West.
They agreed to hold the advance vote for the byelection on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Claresholm Community Centre located at 5920 – Eighth Street West.
Council decided to hold an institutional vote for the byelection on Monday, Oct. 19, at the Claresholm General Hospital, Willow Creek Continuing Care Centre, Porcupine Hills Lodge, Cottonwood Village Retirement Residence, Heritage Manor and Parkside Manor.
Council also set the Claresholm Social Centre located at 5009 – Second Street East as the back-up/alternative location for the byelection on Oct. 19, only to be used in the case of an emergency.
Nominations are now open for the position.
(Please see related story on page three)