Royal City residents will have more chances to get out and vote in the 2014 civic election.
Instead of the two advance voting opportunities normally offered in New Westminster, the city will be having five this year in an effort to increase voter turnouts. When B.C. residents go to the polls on Saturday, Nov. 15, they will be electing mayors, councillors and school trustees for a four-year term, an increase from three years.
Not wasting any time
Coun. Jonathan Cote wasted no time kicking his mayoralty campaign into high gear.
Within hours of Cote’s June 18 announcement that he would be running for mayor, he launched an Instagram account, unveiled Cote for Mayor buttons and took to social media to spread the word. Cote has also been spotted around town with supporters wearing matching campaign shirts.
Cote is the first candidate to announce his plans to run for mayor in the November election. Incumbent mayor Wayne Wright is currently vacationing in Australia and expected to announce in September whether he’ll be seeking re-election.
Williams in the race again
Coun. Lorrie Williams has confirmed she’ll be seeking re-election in November’s municipal election.
Williams said she’s “quite happy being a councillor” and has no aspirations to be mayor. She’d like to be re-elected to another term so she can work on the new animal shelter and see the Wait For Me, Daddy project through to completion.
With her council colleague Jonathan Cote running for mayor, and incumbent Mayor Wayne Wright yet to announce his plans, Williams has some time to decide whom she’ll support.
“I think he (Cote) would make a brilliant mayor,” said Williams, who will throw her support behind a candidate at a later date. “Let me reserve judgment right now. I’d love to endorse them both. If it comes down to it, I will make a choice.”
To date, Cote is the only person who has announced plans to run for mayor.
Get set for four-year terms
When voters head to the polls in November, they’ll be making an extra commitment to their elected officials.
The province has changed local elections from a three-year to a four-year cycle beginning with the 2014 election. Following the Nov. 15, 2014 election, British Columbians won’t return to the polls until October 2018 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees.
Coun. Lorrie Williams, who once proposed a move to four-year terms at the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ convention, believes it makes financial sense.
“(Elections) are very expensive for the candidates, and it is very expensive for the city,” she said. “From a financial point of view it is a good decision.”
The city spent about $140,000 on the 2008 civic election and budgeted about $200,000 for the 2011 election. This year’s budget includes $220,000 for the civic election.
“I think it’s a lot more cost effective from an election point of view,” said Coun. Jonathan Cote. “It puts us in line with what municipalities do all across Canada, but it also gives councils an opportunity to really implement a longer term vision and have the time to work at it.”
In addition to four-year terms, civic elections will move from November to October in future years, something municipalities believe will encourage more voter turnout.
