By Mark Squibb
Voters in Witless Bay will be heading to the polls again this fall.
Witless Bay council has set November 5 as a Nomination Date for anyone interested in vying for an open seat on council. Should enough candidates step forward, a by-election will be held on November 27.
The by-election is pending ministerial approval to delay the date of the contest, which council also requested at last week’s council meeting.
“This is just a formality,” said Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Aspell. “Legislation requires that a by-election be held within three months of a seat becoming vacant. We have had two Nomination days, Justina Nawaz was acclaimed at one, and the second we had no candidates. But because the legislation requires a by-election within three months, the formality is to ask the minister for permission to delay it.”
Nawaz was acclaimed to council in June, filling one of three vacant seats at the council table. Councillor Margaret Swain was booted from council this winter but then re-instated this summer after she appealed the decision and lawyers for the Town advised she had been dismissed without cause. That left one seat up for grabs.
All motions passed unanimously, except that Mayor Trevor Croft and councillor Swain were not in attendance.
