The byelection to fill the council seat left vacant by the death of Coun. Vic Derman will likely take place in the fall.
While Saanich staff continues to finalize the date and cost of the byelection, the public likely won’t be heading to the polls before September.
This timing means council will have an even number of members – eight – for almost half a year, if not longer. This could complicate the search for working majorities as council prepares to take up items such as the budget and the long-awaited review of the Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw.
The budget for the byelection is expected to be in the $300,000 range, based on previous elections.
“Everything required for a full election has to be done for a byelection,” said Coun. Vicki Sanders.
Under the Municipal Act, Saanich must fill Derman’s seat, since it became vacant before Jan. 1, 2018. After that date, council could have carried on with eight members until the municipal election in November 2018.
Once Saanich has appointed a chief election officer for the byelection, this person must set a general voting day for the election, which must be on a Saturday no later than 80 days after the date of the chief election officer’s appointment. Considerations that could shape the final date for the byelection include staff workload and public interest, which generally tends to be lower in the summer months.
Derman, a longtime advocate for environmental sustainability, died on March 17 at the age of 72.
An estimated crowd of 400 people attended a public memorial in Derman’s honour earlier this month.