A recent Supreme Court ruling triggered a by-election in Harrison Hot Springs last week, but there was little official discussion at Monday night's council meeting.
Council voted all in favour to appoint Janice Fulton as the Elections Officer in the by-election. Fulton served the same role in the November 19 municipal elections.
The by-election is necessary following a Supreme Court ruling that states Richard Shelley was not eligible to be elected at the time of the election.
His candidacy was challenged in the days following the election, by fellow candidate Andrew Baziuk. Baziuk did not win a seat in the election. He challenged on the basis that because Shelley was a firefighter in the volunteer fire department, he was an employee of the Village. Shelley did not disclose his role as a firefighter in his Financial Disclosures Statement when he filed his papers to run. He has been a volunteer member since February 2011.
The judge concluded that because Shelley had received monetary compensation for his time as a firefighter, as well as WorkSafe coverage through the municipality, he "was not qualified to hold office at the time he was elected."
Harrison Village CAO Ted Tisdale confirmed by phone on Tuesday that a by-election date has been set for May 12.
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