The next municipal election will be taking place on Oct. 15. As local governments across the province begin to pass bylaws and appoint election officers Castlegar News asked Castlegar’s elected officials if they plan to run again this fall.
Sitting mayor Kirk Duff says he plans to run for the mayoral seat. Duff was elected in April 2021 during a byelection to replace outgoing mayor Bruno Tassone.
“I’m just getting started and want to continue opening up Castlegar for more housing opportunities, fully implement our Economic Development Strategy & Downtown Area Revitalisation Plan, fully develop our Recreation Centre Asset Management plan and facility enhancements, to name just a few,” said Duff. “We can accomplish this through positive, levelheaded, forward-thinking leadership.”
Long-time councilor Sue Heaton-Sherstibitoff says she will be seeking a fourth term on council.
“There are still many initiatives and projects on the horizon that I’d like to see through to completion,” said Heaton-Sherstibitoff. “I also want to continue to be the voice of the community at the council table — asking the hard questions, doing the research, being thoughtful, and making tough decisions to benefit our community. I want to see Castlegar continue to grow and move forward, and I am ready to continue to do the hard work to get us there.”
Councilor Maria McFadden says that barring any major life change in the next few months she will be running again for a council seat.
“I highly value the opportunity to create a city culture where everyone is heard, understood, and can work together to move forward,” said McFadden. “We may not all agree but we all want our city to thrive.”
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After spending 11 years on council, Dan Rye is retiring from politics and will not be running again. Prior to moving to Castlegar, Rye spent eight years on the city council of Gold River, B.C.
Councillor Bergen Price will not be running again. He says he made the decision due to a growing family.
Councilor Brian Bogle says he has not made his final decision about the fall election. Bogle was elected in the 2021 byelection to the seat made vacant when former councillor Florio Vassilakakis decided to throw his hat in the mayoral race.
Councilor Cherryl McCleod did not respond as of press time.
At the May 16 city council meeting, Nicole Brown was once again appointed as Chief Election Officer after running a smooth byelection last year. Tracey Butler and Jennifer Chamberlain have been appointed as deputy chief election officers.
Council has also passed a bylaw that will allow mail-in voting and set up several special voting opportunities at senior’s facilities during the election.
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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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