Mayor Chris Beach has said he’s still undecided about whether he’ll campaign for re-election this year.
Asked whether he’ll run for office again, he told the Lakes District News that he remains undecided.
Beach was elected with a large majority in a December 2016 by-election, following the resignation of then-mayor Luke Strimbold.
He had been a councillor until deciding to run for mayor.
All seats on Burns Lake village council are up for grabs on election day, which falls on October 20, a Saturday. This is a change from previous years, when local elections took place on November 15. The earlier election date is being implemented B.C.-wide this year.
Asked for their thoughts on the earlier-than-usual election, members of Burns Lake village council wouldn’t comment.
Asked whether they planned to run for re-election, none of the village’s councillors replied by press time — nor did Bill Miller and Eileen Benedict, who are also approaching the end of their terms as directors of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
The nomination period for candidates takes place between September 4 and 14, followed by a month of campaigning. Those elected serve a four-year term.
Voter turnout in local elections tends to be low. In the last general local election in Burns Lake, 628 voters cast their ballot — an estimated 41.5 percent of eligible voters, according to CivicInfo BC.
School district and regional district elections take place the same day.