It’s official, the Village of Halkirk is headed for an election for the second time in 18 months. Council approved the calling of a byelection during the Nov. 23 council meeting.
A vacancy occurred on Halkirk’s municipal council after former mayor Thomas Schmidt resigned his seat following the Oct. 14 organizational meeting.
The meeting saw Schmidt ousted from the mayor’s seat and Coun. Sherry Jamieson brought in. In the same meeting, Coun. Dale Kent was elected as her deputy.
In a comment, Schmidt says he resigned as he fails “to see any opportunity for change on the council to do what is right for the (village).”
With the council vacancy, under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the legislative document that gives municipal councils their authority to govern municipalities, a byelection must be called within 120 days of the vacancy occurring.
As such, council has declared election day to be Feb. 12, 2023.
Halkirk has a three member village council, which is supported by a chief administrative officer.
Information around running for council will be provided in the lead up to the election date and be available at the village office in the coming weeks.
Memoranda of Understandings
The Village of Halkirk has signed a pair of Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with the County of Paintearth.
In the first MOU, the county and village have come to terms for the county assistance with water and wastewater utilities.
The agreement will allow the village to use county employees when needed, at the village cost, to make repairs needed in either of the systems.
In the second MOU, the county and village have come to terms regarding snow removal.
The second MOU states that the county will provide snow plowing and piling at services at no-charge to the village, but the village will be prioritized after the county’s own road networks.
Additionally, the MOU also agrees to the plowing of back alleys in the village, however they will only be done upon special request of the chief administrative officer (CAO).
Finally, the MOU makes it clear that the service is “being provided as a convenience to the village,”no “obligation exists” for the service to be done, and the work is not done under the direction of the village CAO, but under the county health and safety plan.