Arjun Singh says he will serve in his newly appointed role as Deputy Mayor until September.

(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS – On the heel of winning the MLA seat for Kamloops-North Thompson, Peter Milobar announced today he will be taking a leave of absence from the mayor's seat.

Milobar was not in attendance at today's May 16 City Council meeting, but he delivered his announcement in a memo addressed to mayor and council.

Council voted unanimously to appoint Coun. Arjun Singh as deputy mayor until September. Singh will serve in the role until a byelection, general election or until Council appoints someone else as deputy mayor.

Milobar will begin his unpaid leave on June 1 and says in the memo "if things seem to be working well and the public is happy with how things are working with Council," he will continue on the extended leave of absence.

Despite these moves by Milobar, the city may be headed to a byelection anyhow. Coun. Marg Spina revealed her intentions today to resign from her seat as she continues to battle breast cancer. When Spina resigns, a byelection to fill her seat will be triggered.

A byelection for the mayor's seat where council members resign to run for the mayor's seat could be problematic for the upcoming KGHM Ajax discussions, according to Milobar and Singh.

In his memo, Milobar says it's his hope that a byelection will be avoided and for council to be operating well in time for the KGHM Ajax application. Deputy mayor Singh echoed Milobar's wish in a full council bench for the Ajax discussion.

"We need to have as many hands on deck as possible as we go through those discussions. When we make the vote on Ajax I think it's important to have as many council members here," Singh says.

City Council will announce its official stance on the proposed Ajax mine at the July 17 meeting.

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