Tag Archives: local government

Elections in Unity October 26

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Town of Unity voters will go to the polls October 26 to elect a mayor, six councillors and a representative for the Light of Christ Catholic School Division.

Incumbent mayor and long-time Unity resident Sylvia Maljan is seeking her third term of office as mayor. Maljan is being challenged by Ben Weber who has been on Unity town council as a councillor and formerly served on Yorkton town council both as mayor and councillor.

Ten people are vying for six councillor seats. Incumbents Terry Flaherty, meat manager at Delta Co-op; Brian Vanderlinde, maintenance person; and Brent Weber, who works in oil and gas, are being challenged by Robert Abel, marketing advisor; Doreen Bonogofski, clearing clerk; Richard Hill, retired; Curtis McLean, equipment operator; Shaun O’Brian, operations manager; Pat Varga, retired; and Dean Wildeman, business owner.

Both mayoral candidates and all council candidates will be in attendance this evening, Wednesday, October 12, at an all-candidates forum sponsored by the Unity and District Chamber of Commerce. Each candidate will be introducing his or herself to the audience and there will be time for a meet-and-greet afterwards. Plan to attend! The forum is in the upper hall at the Unity Community Centre and begins at 7:30 pm.

Catholic ratepayers will also be electing a representative to sit on the LOCCSD board on behalf of St. Peter’s School. In the running for this position are incumbent Gerald Beres, retired, and educational assistant Sandra Morin.

Nominations for mayor and council close next week

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All council positions are up for re-election this year. Nomination forms are available at the town office and must be returned before 4 p.m. next Wednesday, September 21.

The Town of Unity needs people to serve their community by serving on council. (NOTE – local RMs will also be having elections and the nomination deadline there is also September 21.)

To be eligible to run for council – whether as a councillor or for mayor – you must be 18 years of age on or before election day, Oct. 26, a Canadian citizen and have lived in Unity for at least three months and in Saskatchewan for six months.

The Town of Unity has passed a bylaw also requiring criminal record checks to be done and filed with the nomination papers.

The most important issues councils make decisions on are core services such as roads and streets, water treatment and sewer facilities, snow and garbage removal, recreation facilities and programs, land use planning and economic development, building code regulations, crime fighting and prevention, fire fighting and prevention, animal control and emergency planning.

Remember council sets the policies and priorities but they don’t have to do the day-to-day work; municipal staff members are the ones who have to follow through and ensure council’s directives are implemented.

You don’t have to have education or experience in a government setting to run as a candidate. Everyone has unique skills, knowledge and experience which can help guide the decision-making process. All you need is a willingness to get involved, learn and an ability to work with others.

Volunteering and other community involvement, work experience, membership in different organizations and even managing family life can all provide relevant experience for serving on council.

Each council member brings his or her own perspective, and that of the demographic he or she belongs to, to the decision-making table. It’s best for our town when our council reflects the demographics of the town.

As a council member, you can influence changes that benefit your community, put forward new ideas, provide a voice for your community and make a positive difference in the quality of life.

Remember, nomination forms can now be picked up at municipal offices and the deadline to submit a nomination is 4 p.m. September 21.