JUDGING from the announcements made so far, the doors at city hall are busy swinging open and shut with people picking up nomination packages as the starting point to becoming candidates for mayor and for city council.
Just as was the situation in 2008, there are going to be open seats on council caused by people either moving on or hoping to move up in civic politics.
This presents a perfect opportunity for new blood, new ideas and a chance to diversify council’s makeup. With a growing aboriginal population within the city and with aboriginal people set to play an important role in any number of the major development projects either underway or about to start in the region, it’s time there was an aboriginal person on council.
There’s also a race for mayor which does two things. Municipal voter turnout, which is historically unfortunately and scandalously low as a matter of course, tends to pick up when there is a contest for the mayor’s chair. And a mayoral race focuses voter attention on specific and key issues facing the city, providing for a better informed public.
Nominations opened yesterday and close Oct. 14 leading up to general voting day Nov. 19. Here’s another important date – the all candidates meeting hosted by The Terrace Standard and its community partners takes place Nov. 8. More details will be available in the next weeks.