Coun. Juliette Cunningham

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

VERNON – A veteran Vernon politician would like to serve another four years on city council.

Juliette Cunningham is going to run for a seat on council in the upcoming civic election.

“I understand the level of commitment required to fulfill the role of councillor and am prepared to put in the continued effort in order to make thoughtful, informed, responsible decisions on the wide scope of issues that council deals with on a regular basis for our community,” Cunningham says in a media release.

The small business owner served nine years as a Vernon School Board trustee, including three years as board chair.

She has been a city councillor for 6 years, from 2005 to 2008, and was reelected in 2011. She was also one of the city’s representatives on the Regional District of the North Okanagan for the last three years.

Cunningham says over the past three years council has worked to improve the city’s relationship with the regional district and have made significant changes to the delivery of parks and recreation.

“The City will have control of our local parks which will better serve our citizens,” she says. “This has been done while also providing considerable savings to our taxpayers.”

Current councillors Brian Quiring and Catherine Lord have announced they’ll be seeking second terms on council. First time canadidate Dalvir Nahal has also made her intention to run for a seat on council known.

Three people have thrown their hats in the ring to replace mayor Rob Sawatzky who won’t be running for reelection. Current city coun. Mary-Jo O’Keefe, former coun. Klaus Tribes and newcomer Victor Cummings are declared an interest in the job.

The nomination period closes on Friday, Oct. 10.

Voting day is Saturday, Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Recreation Complex, Ellison Elementary School and Vernon Secondary School.

There are three advance polls: Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Schubert Centre, Wednesday, Nov. 12 and Thursday, Nov. 13 at City Hall council chambers.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

—This story was edited at 5:38 p.m. Sept. 25 to correct an error. The new term for city councillors is four years, not three. The article was edited again at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 26 to say Juliette Cunningham was on the Regional District board for the last three years, not two. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2014