By TERRY PUGH
Warman residents will be going to the polls later this fall to elect a new city councillor following the resignation of councillor Doug Ramage on March 10.
Warman City Council voted at its meeting on Monday, March 24 to set the by-election for Wednesday, September 3.
Ramage announced at the March 10 council meeting that he was resigning immediately due to unforeseen family circumstances that required his attention and dedication. Council formally accepted Ramage’s resignation at the March 24 meeting.
Under the terms of the provincial Local Government Elections Act, city council must set a date for a by-election to fill a vacancy on council within six months. That means the by-election must be held prior to Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
Council was presented with three options for a by-election date by Warman City Clerk Katherine Armstrong. These included Wednesday, June 25, Wednesday, July 9 and Wednesday, September 3. Armstrong noted those dates were chosen because they fall after the current federal election, slated for Monday, April 28.
While some members of council said even though it would be preferable to hold the by-election sooner, they were reluctant to do so because they did not want it to conflict with the federal election. They also felt a summer by-election was not conducive to high voter turnout. After discussion, the majority of council voted to hold the by-election on September 3.
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk said the fall by-election date coincides with the resumption of many activities in the city following the summer break. It also provides time for the new councillor to become familiar with council procedures and participate meaningfully in civic budget discussions in late autumn.
With the by-election date set, the deadline for nomination of candidates was determined to be July 30.
Council voted at its March 24 meeting to appoint Armstrong as Returning Officer. Council also voted to not require candidates to submit to a criminal record check. The majority of municipalities in Saskatchewan do not require a criminal record check, because it does not provide details; and also because candidates are not disqualified from running for office or being elected if they do have a criminal record.