Officials in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough have set a date for a by-election to fill a vacant council seat.
Blair George, the former councillor for District 4, died in an ATV crash in Halfway Cove in January; he represented the district since 1988.
A by-election to fill the seat will be held April 13.
Vernon Pitts, Guysborough’s warden, tells The Hawk they decided to move forward, and not wait for municipal elections in 2020.
“It would be a year-and-a-half- 18 to 20 months- with no representation from that district, and council was of the opinion that was a bit too long,” he says. “By going forward now, we can get a new councillor in place, give them a chance to get their feet wet for a year or so, and then see if they want to run again.”
Pitts says he’s already heard of some interest in the position.
He says the timeline is clearly set out for them.
“Council has to go by the Municipal Government Act, so we’ve set a date for the next election,” he says. “We have to allow time for filing of nomination papers and campaigning.”
The deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers is March 19.
