By Mark Squibb
If you’re interested in having a seat at the Witless Bay council table, you’ve got nearly three weeks to deliberate putting your name forward.
Council last week set May 15 as nomination day in the town in an effort to fill three seats vacated in recent months.
Should enough candidates come forward on nomination day to warrant an election, residents will head to the polls on June 5.
Byelections have been cancelled in the past due to a lack of candidates. Margaret Swain was acclaimed to council on November 1 and Alan Richards was acclaimed prior to that on August 3. Swain was ejected from council this past winter on a claim by councillor Ralph Carey that she had broken conflict of interest rules by discussing the Ragged Beach Land Reserve when she has a friend who owns property in the area.
Richards joined his wife and fellow councillor Lorna Yard, who was deputy mayor, in quitting council March 15.
All told, five councillors have come and gone since the municipal election of 2021 — Alex Troake, Nancy Burke, Margaret Swain, Lorna Yard, and Alan Richards.
