It’s about as sad a reason as there is to exercise democracy but the passing of former West Vancouver councillor Michael Lewis, who died of cancer last month, means a by-election must be held to make council whole again.
On Nov. 19, West Vancouver voters will go to the polls.
Municipal byelections have a frustratingly low turnout. For the happy few who are honourably putting their names forward, it’s a big opportunity. With so few voters bothering to show up, you only need to marshal a small contingent of supporters to win that seat, And the power of incumbency is strong if you choose to run again in 2018.
But whoever sits in that seat will have some big decisions to help make as West Vancouver embarks on its OCP process, revitalizes Ambleside, creates a new neighbourhood on Cypress and at Park Royal, and deals with monster houses and tree bylaws.
These can be divisive issues and yours could be the swing vote.
We don’t have a clue what policies the new councillor might support or what vision of the community they’ll bring to council chambers. We only hope whoever occupies that seat embodies some of the same qualities Lewis had. He was thoughtful, reasoned, meticulous in his research and questioning, and he made his points clearly and concisely. Off council, he was a selfless volunteer for many groups and people in need.
We know there are a great many folks west of Ambleside to Horseshoe Bay who could fit that description. We look forward to seeing their names on
the ballot.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
