(File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Aaron Schulze

Carrot River Byelection

Carrot River holding mayoral byelection in March

Jan 23, 2020 | 2:43 PM

Residents in Carrot River will have nearly a full month to decide whether want to put their names forward to potentially become the town’s mayor.

Council made a resolution during its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22 to set Carrot River’s mayoral byelection day for Wednesday, March 25.

The byelection comes after former mayor Bob Gagne resigned on Nov. 14, 2019. Councillor Ila Boehm was appointed as acting mayor on Nov. 20, with her term lasting until the byelection. The winner of the byelection will serve as Carrot River’s mayor until the 2020 Saskatchewan municipal elections on Nov. 9, 2020.

“It does seem like a short term, but it’s very clear in the Municipalities Act that since the resignation happened before Jan. 1, 2020, a byelection needs to be held,” Carrot River Town Administrator Kevin Trew told northeastNOW.

In order to put their name forward for the mayoral byelection, residents must:

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• Be at least 18 years of age
• Reside in Carrot River for six months prior to the byelection
• Be a Canadian citizen

Trew said if there’s only one candidate for the mayor position ahead of nomination day, they would become mayor by acclamation.

“If that candidate was elected by acclamation, they would be sworn in at the next council meeting in early March,” he said. “If there’s more than one candidate who comes forward before nomination day, then there would be an election and the winner would be sworn in during the April council meeting.”

Boehm previously said following her appointment as acting mayor that she was leaning toward running in the mayoral byelection.

According to Saskatchewan’s Municipalities Act, councillors can run for mayor in a byelection without surrendering their seat.

“If any of the sitting council members chose to run for mayor of Carrot River and were successful… the council seat would effectively become vacant,” Trew explained. “Council would have to decide whether they want to call a byelection to fill that seat.

“Council has stated if that happens, it’s within the rights under the Municipalities Act that they do not have to fill that position because there will be a general election held in November. On the other hand, if a sitting member of council puts their name forward to be mayor and they’re not successful in getting the office of mayor, they would revert to being a council member.”

In case of Acting Mayor Boehm, she would then become a council member until the end of her term in November 2020.

Mayoral nominations will be received at town office until Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow