With the General Election nomination period beginning on January 1, the Town of Vermilion will be offering sessions to new council candidates and those considering running.
“So You Think You Want to be a Councillor” sessions are coming tentatively in March. They will be one to two short sessions in which CAO George Rogers will inform potential candidates about the expectations that come with being a town councillor, rules and guidelines for councillors, and other topics such as public perception and agenda items.
“This is a great opportunity for those who have a broad perspective of the community, to see our community thrive and grow and bring passion to get this done.” said Mayor Caroline McAuley.
Mayor McAuley commented that sometimes when individuals come in with a specific issue in mind, it can cause frustration when these items take a long time to complete or may be outside of the work of council.
Mayor McAuley confirmed that there would be at least one vacancy for council members, however it is possible that there will be more as the year goes on. As of January 26, there have been no registered candidates, but Mayor McAuley encourages new candidates to wait and attend the sessions, so they are aware of all the responsibilities that come with being a town councillor.
If interested in attending “So You Want to be a Councillor” sessions, email CAO@vermilion.ca to request to attend it and for more information. In addition, candidate packages are available at the Town Office.
The nomination period will close on September 20 and the election will be held on October 18.