Four vying for two Alberton councillor seats

First Alberton didn’t have enough people to fill its four council seats. Now it has too many people interested in the job.
Barb Cournoyer, Mike Hammond, Wayne McKay and Gary Miller all told Alberton clerk Faye Flatt they were interested in the two vacant seats by Friday’s deadline.
But Flatt noted someone else could still come forward before council meets next month to fill them.
Though the deadline was advertised as Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. , Flatt said that was more for convenience because the township office was going to be closed over the Christmas holidays.
And because there was no formal filing process (candidates didn’t have to file nomination papers nor pay the $100 fee), she said people may approach current council members and say they’re also interested.
“I don’t really see why they couldn’t [still come forward],” Flatt said Friday.
The next step, she added, was for the current council, which includes Reeve Judy Koski, Coun. Lucy Lahti and Coun. John Milling, to decide who they want to fill the two seats.
The Municipal Act states more than half the total number of council (which is five in Alberton) must be in favour of the appointment. So to fill the first vacant seat, the decision must be unanimous.
“Those four then could appoint the remaining one,” Flatt said, with three of the four needing to give the nod.
She added council probably would talk before its Jan. 14 meeting and decide who to pick. And she felt those people would be notified so they could be at the meeting and sworn in.
But Flatt stressed council didn’t necessarily have to appoint any of the people who expressed an interest. And under the Municipal Act, there is no time frame as to when the seats must be filled.