The sudden resignation of two village councillors has Denare Beach bracing for a byelection.
Coun. Davis McKay quit council on Dec. 10, followed by Coun. Joanne Burkholder on Dec. 17.
Council is expected to set the date of a byelection at its Jan. 14 meeting. The byelection could be held as early as March.
The Reminder could reach neither McKay nor Burkholder for comment.
Mayor Carl Lentowicz said McKay is going to be in the Yukon as part of his education until next summer, so he decided to resign.
Elected in October 2012, both McKay and Burkholder were rookie councillors.
Burkholder, a nurse, received the most votes of any councillor, capturing 64 per cent of the popular vote.
With 41 per cent of the vote, McKay eked out a three-vote victory over incumbent Anne Schiltroth to secure the final spot on council.
With four remaining councillors plus himself as mayor, Lentowicz said the village still has a quorum.
Some communities normally operate with four councillors, Lentowicz said, but Denare Beach has chosen to stick with six.
As soon as possible after the resignation of a councillor, provincial legislation compels a municipality to call for nominations for candidates in a byelection.
While the nomination period can be flexible, it must last at least 10 working days. The byelection must then take place on a Wednesday, five weeks after nominations close.
Given that there is more than a year remaining in council’s term, letting the two vacancies stand is not an option.
The 2012 general election saw nine candidates run for the six council spots, with Lentowicz acclaimed as mayor.
Denare Beach’s remaining councillors are Karen Thomson, Frank Wiegers, Scott McCullum and Jean Champagne.
