Penticton will hold a Sept. 7 byelection to find a new mayor and councilor.

(SHANNON QUESNEL / iNFOnews.ca)

PENTICTON - Penticton will hold a Sept. 7 byelection despite objections over the timing.

The byelection process started when former mayor Dan Ashton resigned after being elected as Penticton's MLA. Acting mayor Garry Litke said he wants the job but he will have to resign as a councillor first. The byelection will also determine who gets Litke's chair at the council table.

City council chose the earliest day suggested by staff in a contested vote. City manager Annette Antoniak offered Sept. 7, Sept. 28 and Oct. 19 as possible election days.

Coun. Andrew Jakubeit leaned towards Oct. 19. He didn't want to offend tourists with election signs and other advertising. He also said the week of Sept. 7 is jammed with activity. Parents will also be busy getting their children back to school.

Litke wanted it sooner rather than later. He said he's always being asked when the byelection is going to happen. "People are looking for an answer." He said the election will bring stability to local government for the next 14 months. After that there will be a general municipal election.

Coun. Helena Konanz does not think election signs will leave tourists with a sour taste. She said it shows the city as active and democratic. "Life doesn't stop here in Penticton in summer." She added if the byelection is held in October it leaves less than a year before the new mayor and councillor have to run again in another election.

With Sept. 7 being chosen as election day, elected officials running for mayor, such as Litke, must resign from council no later than Monday. The city will run advertisements calling for nominations from July 10 to July 17. Nomination period opens 9 a.m. on July 23 and councilor or mayor candidates can pick up their nomination documents. The nomination period closes at 4 p.m. on Aug. 2. This is the deadline for candidates to submit their nomination papers. Candidates have until 4 p.m. on Aug. 9 to withdraw their candidacy.

The final list of candidates will be announced on Aug. 9 along with times and locations for voting opportunities. Advance polls open on Aug. 28 and 29.

To run as a candidate for any local government office, candidates must be nominated by two people who are qualified to vote – either as resident or non-resident property owners.

To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @shannonquesnel1

This story was corrected at 10:34 a.m. July 4, 2013 to correct several dates and times of the election process.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013