The Town of St. Paul has written a letter to Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths asking for an extension from the requirement to hold a byelection within 90 days of a council vacancy under the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
The letter proposes holding the byelection for Jan. 12, 2012.
Council plans to make a motion to ask Municipal Affairs for an extension at the council meeting on Nov. 14, but sent the letter Nov. 4 after talks with the department, said CAO Ron Boisvert.
The letter indicates council feels the Act “indicates that we have to have a byelection 90 days thereafter (a vacancy), which would mean an election on Dec. 30.”
The letter says the majority of residents will be gone between Christmas and the new year and the Town would be short staffed.
The letter states that “residents are definitely not thinking of an election and their thoughts and feelings are with family and friends.”
“December’s not a good month,” said Boisvert.
Under the MGA, council could hold the byelection anytime between the vacancy on Sept. 30 and the new year.
The last byelection took five months, said Boisvert.
