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The Town of Lanigan has elected not to hold a by-election to replace recently resigned councillor Velda Daelick. Daelick’s resignation came on December 29, 2023. However, Town Council received notice of the resignation on January 8, 2024. The decision to withhold the by-election is largely due to the timing of the upcoming general municipal elections being held in the province slated for November 13, 2024.
Since Daelick’s resignation is dated on the receipt of notice, January 8, 2024, legislation dictates that the Town does not need to hold a by-election given that the resignation was received in the same year as a general election.
A release from the Town of Lanigan notes, “After deliberation, receiving advice from Bloom Center for Municipal Education, and consulting the municipal act legislation, Town Council has decided that conducting a by-election is not in the best interest of town residents for the following reasons;”
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The general election is only 10 months away it could take up to six months before a by election would be complete, leaving very little time for a new counselor to add any value to the town
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The cost of a by-election is estimated to be $15,000. As council, we feel this is a waste of financial resources because of the close proximity to the general election. new line a by election is considerable work for staff.
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A by-election is considerable work for the staff.
The release goes on to state that Council is committed to transparency and evidence-based decision making. As such it feels the cost and staff resources required cannot be justified when a general election is 10 months away. It feels the decision is in the best interest of the community.