Potential candidates for the Oct. 20 municipal election are now able to pick up nomination documents for the offices of mayor (one vacancy) and councillor (six vacancies) from Vernon city hall.
See related: Lippert to seek mayor’s position
Nomination papers must be filed between 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, excluding statutory holidays and weekends. There is a $100 refundable deposit on all nomination packages, and arrangements should be made with the chief or deputy chief election officer to pick up your papers at city hall during regular office hours. Nominations will not be accepted after the deadline.
You may run as a candidate in the 2018 election if:
* you are a Canadian citizen;
* you are at least 18 years old on October 20, 2018;
* you have lived in BC for at least six months; and
* you are not disqualified from holding office, or otherwise disqualified by law.
“In order to be nominated as a candidate, you will require 10 nominators who must be qualified electors of the jurisdiction you are running in,” said city communications officer Nick Nilsen. “You do not have to live in the jurisdiction in which you are running for office. If you are elected to office, you will be expected to serve a four-year term which officially begins by being sworn in at the inaugural council meeting on Nov. 5, 2018.”
Holding office can be time consuming.
In addition to attending regular meetings (second and fourth Monday of every month at 8:40 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. for public hearings), successful candidates will be asked to sit on advisory committees, boards or commissions that also require significant time. You might consider talking to a current or former councillor to find out how much time you will be expected to commit.
For more information on the nomination process or to make an appointment to pick up nomination papers at City Hall, please contact Sue Blakely, chief election officer at 250-550-3526, sblakely@vernon.ca; or Patti Bridal, deputy chief election officer at 250-550-3524, pbridal@vernon.ca.
Save the dates:
Election Day is Saturday, Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polls will be located at Greater Vernon Recreation Centre, Ellison Elementary School and Vernon Secondary School.
Advance polls are scheduled for:
Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Schubert Centre.
Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at city hall.
Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at city hall.
See related: Vernon group urges fair vote
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