The close of nominations for this year’s B.C. municipal elections, (which took place last Friday) revealed the fact that voters in the region will find themselves with choices to make when they visit the polls on November 19.
In Keremeos, six candidates will vie for four council seats, while two seek the mayor’s position.
In the rural areas three candidates contest for Area “B” while three more duke it out for Area “G.”
A three way race exists for two school trustee positions.
It’s been several elections since the voter has had so many choices to make - at each position. We are hopeful that the increase in candidates seeking election will translate into more citizen interest in this election, with more votes being cast as a result.
We are also hopeful that voters, because of the many choices they have, will make a sincere effort to educate themselves about the issues and personalities involved.
Ask any incumbent - they will tell you that in order to manage the business of a small town like Keremeos, or a regional district like the RDOS, a huge body of knowledge is required to be able to comprehend, keep up to date with, or manage on a daily basis the legislation that goes into municipal politics.
Even a small village like Keremeos requires savvy leadership and experience these days in order to gain access to such things as grant funding (increasingly necessary for infrastructure improvements as costs escalate) let alone manage the daily routine of the small community.
It amounts to a lot of responsibility for a pretty small paycheque.
More to the point, it’s up to the taxpayer to make an informed choice.