MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - County council has given first and second reading to a number of proposed changes to the Municipal Elections Bylaw 25/20.
The move came during the regularly scheduled Dec. 2 council meeting and was made in preparation for the October 18, 2021 municipal election.
In preparing for the election, county administration has reviewed existing municipal legislation and made a number of recommended changes to county’s bylaw. The changes include the following:
• Council may, by bylaw, allow the returning officer to designate more than one voting station per voting subdivision.
• Council may, by resolution, appoint a returning officer and substitute returning officer.
• Council may, by resolution, permit for voting station to open prior to 10 a.m.
• Council may, by bylaw, require that every nomination be filed with an alternative deposit amount up to $1,000.
• Council may, by resolution, allow for special ballots.
On Sept. 22 council instructed administration not to proceed with number of other changes allowed under current legislation, including the following:
• Council may, by bylaw, require that the chief elected official be elected from the municipality as whole.
¨• Council may, by bylaw, amend the manner in which councillors are elected within a ward, change the number of wards, the boundaries of the ward or eliminate the wards.
• Council may, by bylaw, specify a higher or lower number of councillors.
During the Dec. 2 council meeting, council gave first and second reading to the proposed changes to Bylaw 25-20 and instructed administration to bring the bylaw back to the Dec. 9 council meeting for possible third reading.
