Port au Choix residents will head to the polls on September 28 to elect a new council and a mayor.
The elected body will replace the three-person commission of government put in place by the Department of Municipal Affairs in 2007 after they dissolved the community’s council in June 2006.
That decision came after months of infighting and a political stalemate within the council.
“It’s imperative that a good number of people come and put their names forward so that people have a choice about who to vote for, because we’re afraid that if there aren’t enough people then it won’t be a true democratic vote,” Port au Choix commission member Carolyn Lavers said.
“If people get onto the council through acclamation then it’s not a true democratic process and we risk the possibility of all of the past issues rising up again which we really don’t want.
“Under the circumstances I can’t stress just how important it is for people to have a choice for who they want as mayor, who they want on the council.
“People need to be able to have a say and then everyone can live with it, otherwise you’ve got people in the community saying ‘they never got voted in anyway’ and they won’t see it as a truly representative council.”
Potential candidates need to mark September 7 in their diaries — that’s nomination day in the community when they need to show up to the town building with someone who will support their nomination.
“I’m not sure we have a huge number of people who even know we’re having an election, but I am hoping this goes well,” she said.
“We just want this to go smoothly because the town really does need its council.”
For more information contact the town clerk on (709) 861-3409.
egraney@northernpen.ca
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