Sherridon voters will elect a new mayor next week in a community council election that puts 10 per cent of the tiny town’s residents on the ballot.
Larry Alm, Dennis Hatch and Chris Matheson are running for mayor. Vying for two vacant council seats are Evelyn Bighetty, Stanley Cook, Sheryl Matheson, Gord McLaren and Gary Relf.
Nick Benyk, who has been mayor for about the past 12 years, will not seek reelection due to other circumstances in his life at this time.
Benyk, who first joined the municipal government as a councillor in 1980, spoke highly of what council has been able to accomplish.
“If you’re going to live somewhere, it’s your duty and obligation to try and make it better, and we’ve always worked hard at that,” he said, adding that Sherridon has a strong stock of equipment, good roads and a frugal approach.
Benyk plans to continue living in Sherridon. Asked if he may one day run for council again, he replied, “I’ll have to wait and see what happens, I guess.”
The Manitoba government has been working with Sherridon community council to straighten out dysfunction. A government spokeswoman told The Reminder in August that officials had been asked to “help resolve internal conflict amongst council members” and that council had agreed to follow an action plan to rectify the situation.
Two of the three mayoral candidates, Hatch and Matheson, are currently councillors.
Voters in the town of 80 people head to the polls on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The two councillors whose seats are not up for grabs this year are Debi Hatch and Michelle Reimer.
