Election season is not quite over – for Sooke, that is.
On April 28, Sooke council voted 4-1 to name Jessica Bagnall chief election officer and Nancy Owen deputy chief election officer. The vote began an 80-day clock, setting a byelection for Saturday, July 12, when Sooke residents can vote for their new councillor.
The seat being filled belonged to Dana Lajeunesse, who resigned from council when elected MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat last November.
It's been a long road to the ballot box since then.
In the leadup to the federal election, council frequently delayed the election process in anticipation of Mayor Maja Tait’s bid to represent Esquimalt-Sooke-Saanich for the NDP. In the event of Tait winning the election and subsequently stepping down from her mayoral seat, Sooke would have put her position on the same ballot alongside Lajeunesse’s open seat.
Though presently on a leave of absence from her position as mayor, Tait is set to return to council chambers following her loss to Liberal candidate Stephanie McLean.
The decision to now run a byelection in July comes to the dismay of some council members, including Coun. Al Beddows, who advocated for scheduling the byelection in September.
“To run an election in July, I don’t think we’re always going to get the best candidate, and I think it behooves us to get a good candidate in the running,” Beddows said.
“They might make one meeting in July and then are off for August; I would rather appoint the chief election officer in three weeks time and have the election in September when everybody is back at school.”
However, council ultimately decided to begin the election process. Staff warned that if the byelection were to be delayed further, the provincial government could issue a ministerial order naming the CEO and begin the election process without council's consent, given that provincial legislation dictates a byelection be held as soon as practical.
“Everything isn’t always going to be perfect,” Coun. Kevin Pearson said.
“I think we’ve had difficulty reaching quorum at times. I think it’s been sitting there since last October, so I think it’s onwards and upwards.”
Pearson further referenced a past comment from Mayor Tait, saying, “It's up to the candidate to get their electorate out.”
“This is one of these rare times where there is one seat, one person, and the person that goes out and canvases and does a great job of campaigning will, or should, be able to win this election.”
