Whomever wins the top spot on village council is secondary, says a former Warfield mayor trying to reclaim his past position.
It’s been six years since there has been enough interest for a council or mayoral race in Warfield.
What matters most, says Bill Trewhella, is that there are enough candidates vying for a seat in village politics so citizens have opportunity to mark a ballot on Nov. 15.
“What I hope for the most is that there will be an election,” Trewhella told the Trail Times Monday. “People want the chance to get out and vote,” he said. “And the longer we go without that opportunity, the worse it is for democracy.”
Trewhella has no axe to grind in the political arena, he explained, but since his 11-year stint as village mayor ended in 1996, the basic principals of public service have remain unchanged, so he’s ready to tackle the area’s most recent issues.
Trewhella is the only Warfield resident who’s signed up so far. And with time ticking toward the Friday deadline for a seat in municipal government, uncertainty remains if Warfield’s 1,400 electors will finally have a say in its leadership for the next four years.
There’s confirmation that Silver City citizens will have a place at the polls with a two, possibly three-way, mayoral race already underway and seven people up for one of six seats on Trail council.
Besides Mike Martin and Doug Jones intent on becoming mayor of Trail, first time potential candidate Casey LeMoel has a website up and running, though there’s been no official confirmation of his nomination to date.
There’s also a new twist added to the Trail councillor race after a veteran politician threw his hat into the ring last week.
After a 10-year hiatus from politics, former Trail Mayor Sandy Santori is ready to dive back into municipal affairs – not in his past title, rather as a member of city council.
He is running alongside newcomer Lisa Pasin, and five incumbents, Robert Cacchioni, Rick Georgetti, Eleanor Gattafoni-Robinson, Sean Mackinlay, and Kevin Jolly.
Montrose and Fruitvale only have their current mayors listed as candidates, according to the province’s government sector website, civicinfo.bc.ca.
Although the latter does have two people, incumbent Tabatha Webber and newcomer James Ellison, listed as candidates for the village’s four-member council.
Looking east to Salmo, Dennis McLean is listed as a mayoral candidate with newcomers Kenneth Anderson and Reginald Mullaly seeking a position on the village’s four-member council.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary doesn’t have any candidates listed on the civic info website, however Linda Worley, Area B’s incumbent director filed papers last week.
The Golden City will be hosting an electoral race this year after Rossland Coun. Kathy Moore stepped up to challenge the city’s current mayor, Greg Granstrom.
Granstrom won his position by acclamation in 2011, but the city’s six-member council was voted in after a 10-way race for a seat.
There’s no word if the current city councillors will seek re-election and by Monday afternoon, no candidates were listed on the civic site.