Hay River council looks at leaving seat empty
Opinions influenced by 2012 vote on number of councillors
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, January 23, 2017
HAY RIVER
Town council is leaning toward cutting its size. No official decision has yet been made on the seat - which became open with the resignation of Coun. Mike Maher on Dec. 28 - but some councillors made their opinions clear at their Jan. 9 meeting.
"My initial thoughts are that we don't fill the vacancy," said deputy mayor Donna Lee Jungkind. "There was a question asked to the community four years ago as to whether they thought we should have eight or six council members."
In that vote in late 2012, Jungkind noted that residents voted 601 in favour of reducing the number of councillors and 575 against.
The council of the day decided to maintain the status quo.
Not filling the vacancy for the remainder of the term is one of three options the current council has as a result of Maher's resignation. It could also decide to hold a byelection or call for expressions of interest from people so council could appoint a new councillor.
Jungkind noted there is an expense to going out to a byelection.
"I don't agree with appointing anybody," she added.
Jungkind's opinions were supported by a couple of other councillors.
"I'm in total agreement with that," said Coun. Keith Dohey.
Coun. Jason Coakwell also said he agreed with the deputy mayor.
However, Coun. Roger Candow believes the seat should not remain empty for such a long time.
"My initial thought when I first (saw) the resignation was there's more than half the term left," he said. "We should fill it."
Council is expected to decide what to do about the vacant seat at its regular meeting on Jan. 30.
In comments to News/North prior to the Jan. 9 meeting, Mayor Brad Mapes expressed his opinion on what should be done.
"My personal belief is we should just let the seat sit empty," he said.
Mapes also pointed to the public vote in late 2012 on cutting the number of council seats to six from eight.
"It was a close vote, but it was voted to go forward with six," he said. "And for some reason council at the time decided to just stay with eight."
Mapes pointed out that, in Alberta and Saskatchewan, communities the size of Hay River do not have more than six representatives on a council, plus a mayor.
In fact, he added even Whitehorse has only six councillors and a mayor.
However, Mapes pointed out it is common in the NWT to have eight councillors and a mayor.
There would also be savings in leaving the seat vacant, he noted, since a byelection would cost about $3,500.
