No Oct 2014 Civic Election?

The Tyee reported yesterday that the Union of BC Municipalities or UBCM has asked Bill Bennett (Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development) to delay implementation of changing the next date of the local government election from Nov to Oct 2014 because it would conflict with the 2014 UBCM Convention.  In addition, Minister Bennett reported to UBCM at its' Jan 23rd, 2013 meeting that other reforms for Local Government Election law (campaign expense limits, etc) would be ready in the Fall of 2013 or a later legislative session in which he noted the complexity of developing a campaign expense limit formula

You can read more here (Tyee) and here (UBCM Member Newsletter)

With all due respect to my political friends (RD Directors, Mayors and Councillors) in the Cariboo-Chilcotin - the moving of the date of the next civic election in 2014 (from November to October) is the right thing to do and for the reasons previously discussed by Williams Lake City Councillor SPS Rathor who personally pushed for this to happen including allowing those who travel south for the winter to have an opportunity to vote, in addition, ensuring that campaigning occurs at a time when the snow, here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, has not yet fallen.  Finally - only those who are challenged for their offices should be concerned with this proposal (Keep civic election at Nov 2014).  Those acclaimed can attend the UBCM 2014 AGM.  In addition - attendance at the UBCM AGM is not mandatory and the primary role of a locally elected official in the fall of an election year is to obtain re-election, should one choose to offer him/herself up for re-election and not trying to fit in both (election and UBCM), especially if that elected official is unpopular with his/her residents'

The current proposed 2014 Civic Election Date would be November 15th, 2014

SBF