Saturday marks the last chance for Trail voters to decide if the city is going to have a walking bridge.
Well over 4,000 Silver City electors have yet to cast a ballot in the referendum that seeks a green-light from Trail voters to borrow millions to build a second crossing over the Columbia River.
From 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. the Trail Memorial Centre will be the polling place on general voting day, Aug. 23, and Michelle McIsaac, the city’s chief election officer, encourages all who have not yet voted to come out on Saturday.
A total of 951 people cast a ballot during the city’s advanced voting opportunities on Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, and just over 100 electors have chosen to vote by mail.
“We’ve received request for mail ballot packages from just over 100 electors who are eligible for mail ballot voting,” said McIsaac. “Many have already been returned, however electors have until 8 p.m. on Saturday to return them in order to be counted.”
Preliminary voting results will be announced on the city’s website by about 9 p.m. Saturday evening, including the number of “Yes” and “No” votes, said McIsaac.
“And a statement as to whether or not the assent of the electors has been obtained,” she added. “The final results will be released on Monday morning, which will include voter turnout.”
After a counter petition with over 1,200 signatures sunk the Columbia River Utilities/Pedestrian Bridge Loan Bylaw through the Alternative Approval Process Friday three months ago, Trail council opted to try another borrowing route through the referendum process.
If the majority of Trail’s 5,733 registered voters say “Yes,” to Bylaw No. 2775, then the city can take out a $4.9 million loan to construct a walkway over an aerial sewer line upstream from the Old Trail Bridge.
Though there’s no signed agreement between Trail and its regional district sewer partners in Warfield and Rossland, the city maintains an above water sewer pipeline with a footbridge over top makes the most economical sense.