Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 28, 2008

HAY RIVER - Voters in Hay River will soon be heading back to the polls - this time to elect a new mayor.

On Jan. 22, town council opted for a byelection to fill the vacancy left by John Pollard's recent resignation as mayor.

However, council was divided on the best way to fill the mayor's chair. Several argued that a member of council should be appointed.

Coun. Sandra Lester introduced a motion that council make such an appointment.

She said she phoned a number of residents, who all wanted the position to be appointed to avoid the expense of a byelection.

They also felt a council member could do the job.

"I'm only doing what people asked me," Lester said.

Coun. Pat Burnstad spoke in favour of the motion, noting most community residents she talked to favoured appointment.

Burnstad said the residents said if a mayor is elected, he or she would not have much time to learn the ropes before the next general election in about 18 months and an appointment would avoid the expense of an election.

"They felt we have people on council who know how to do the job," she said, although she admitted to being personally divided on the issue.

Coun. Beatrice Lepine also supported an appointment, and said council has been placed in an awkward position by Pollard's resignation on Jan. 14.

"We need to get moving on things," Lepine said.

However, the motion was opposed by other councillors.

Coun. Vince McKay said that one of the issues in the December byelection in which all councillors were elected was a more open and transparent democratic process.

Coun. Kevin Wallington also said there should be a byelection for mayor, adding more people might be interested in running than just members of council.

"Let's let the community decide that," he said.

The debate then moved to whether any member of council actually wanted to be appointed mayor, and the council took a five-minute break.

After the break, Lester withdrew her original motion and instead moved that Coun. Diana Ehman, elected acting mayor after Pollard's resignation, be appointed mayor until the next general election.

That didn't change the views of the opponents of appointment.

Councillors McKay, Wallington, Mike Maher and Ken Latour voted against appointing Ehman mayor, while Lester, Burnstad and Lepine supported the motion.

With the appointment idea defeated, council voted to hold a byelection.

A date still has yet to be set for the vote although it is expected in about eight weeks.

The upcoming byelection will be the second since December.

All eight councillors were chosen in a byelection, after a judge overturned the irregularity-plagued October 2006 vote.

That byelection is estimated to have cost between $3,000 and $5,000, while the 2006 general election cost about $8,000.

If a member of council decides to run, he or she would have to resign from council to do so.

Ehman won't be running.

"I have no desire to enter into a campaign again," she said.

Pollard was elected as mayor in October 2006 - defeating Ehman, who was mayor at the time.

Only Pollard retained his seat after the judge's decision.