Nominations are now open for candidates running in the upcoming municipal election, and residents will know for sure next Friday afternoon whether anyone steps up to challenge incumbent mayor George Harvie and his team of council hopefuls.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, Delta residents will head to polls to elect a mayor, six city councillors and seven school trustees to a four-year term in office.
The official nomination period began at 9 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 30), with a deadline of 4 p.m. on Sept. 9 for candidates to submit their nomination packages.
So far, George Harvie and his Achieving for Delta slate of council candidates are the only ones vying for those jobs. If no one else throws their hat in the ring, Harvie and current councillors Alicia Guichon and Dylan Kruger will all be acclaimed for a second term in office alongside the other four Achieving for Delta council candidates: current school board trustees Daniel Boisvert and Jessie Dosanjh, parks and recreation commissioner Rod Binder and local businesswoman Jennifer Johal.
As for Delta school board, voters will have at least a couple of choices to make when they fill in their ballots. Incumbent trustees Bruce Reid and Nick Kanakos are running for re-election under the Independents Working for You banner, while trustees Erica Beard and Val Windsor are running with Harvie’s Achieving for Delta slate alongside Sher-E-Punjab Radio host Nimmi Daula, registered clinical counsellor Dr. Ammen Dhillon, community advocate Masako Gooch, chartered director Maury Kask and architect and former Delta District PAC chair Joe Muego.
Regardless of whether more candidates come forward, there’s going to be significant turnover on both city council and school board after the election. Four of the six current councillors — Dan Copeland, Lois Jackson, Jeannie Kanakos and Bruce McDonald — have said they will not be seeking re-election, as has longtime Trustee Laura Dixon, and Boisvert and Dosanjh won’t be returning to school board whether they are successful in their bids for council seats or not.
General voting takes place on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, Wednesday, Oct. 5 and Thursday, Oct. 6 at the North Delta Centre for the Arts (11425 84th Ave.), Pinewood Elementary School (11777 Pinewood Dr.), Delta city hall (4500 Clarence Taylor Crescent) and the South Delta Recreation Centre (1720 56th St.).
For those wishing to vote by mail, the application period opens Sept. 1 and ends Sept. 30. Mail-in ballot packages will be available for pickup at city hall or mailed to residents beginning Sept. 23.
Full election details, including key dates and a list of places to vote, can be found online at delta.ca/elections.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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