The Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie will not be holding an election for its council on October 26th. Every councillor has been acclaimed, along with only one candidate stepping forward to replace Councillor Dale Wood in Ward 6.
Adam Carpenter is the new councillor for that ward.
Deputy Reeve Garth Asham says they do, however, have an election for a school trustee.
"Overall, we're very pleased," says Asham. "The general consensus is that they're happy with the council of the day. We have tried to stay on the course of servicing the people of the RM of Portage well. I think we have our priorities in order. I don't want to pat myself on the back or council on the back too much, but I think we've done our job there. It appears that most are happy with what's going on."
Asham acknowledges they're not going to be able to please everyone all of the time, but they can please the majority most of the time.
"If you have an individual interest, sometimes we can't actually help you out on that, but at the same time, we can try our best to please the large group that we're responsible for," continues Asham.
He notes he hasn't known of a similar situation before this election where they did not have to elect reeve and council members.
"It's happened with individuals to be acclaimed, of course, but not that I can recall when the whole council has been acclaimed," adds Asham. "I've been a councillor for 16 years, and it hasn't happened in my time, but that's not to say it hasn't happened before."
Asham explains they're looking forward to working with new councillor for Ward 6 Adam Carpenter.
"I think he has a good handle on municipal politics," says Asham. "And again, it's a team game. We all strive for that team concept and I'm sure he'll fit right in. We don't designate the committees for the new councillor right now. The reeve will sit down with council and appoint our designate councillors to their strengths in our committees. It'll happen shortly after everything is official that Adam Carpenter is sworn in and we get back to business as a council. We're already in business as a council, but at the same time, as we bring our new councillor on board, it'll be shortly thereafter in November, probably, that everybody will be designated for their respective committees."
He notes Ward 6 is basically west of Highway 13. It then stretches upward on the west side of Highway 430 and goes right over toward Ward 5.
"That would be around Southport," notes Asham. "Ward 5 encompasses Southport, so it goes right over to that boundary."
"We thank the public for having confidence in us," says Asham.