Local candidates are hopeful and the polling stations are getting ready for an influx of voters this weekend: election day kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 and the polls will close at 8 p.m.
Municipal election
There are three locations for City of Quesnel residents to cast their ballots for city councillor and the Public Works Referendum.
Locals can head to Quesnel City Hall at 410 Kinchant Street; Correlieu Secondary School at 850 Anderson Drive; or Dragon Lake Elementary School at 2655 Quesnel-Hydraulic Road.
Up to six councillors must be chosen from the 11 candidates. Still not sure who to vote for? Check out the Observer’s city councillor candidate profiles:
You can also check out our coverage of the Quesnel & District Chamber of Commerce’s all-candidates forum, which took place at the North Cariboo Community Campus Oct. 11: 10 candidates perform under pressure at Quesnel City Council forum
The Mayor of Quesnel has been elected by acclamation, as only incumbent mayor Bob Simpson stepped forward for the role. Read about some of his plans for the next four years here.
Public Works Referendum
City of Quesnel residents are also being asked to vote on a Public Works Referendum, to allow the City to borrow $8.5 million to replace the aging Public Works facility with a new one on Sword Avenue. If approved, the new Public Works facility would cost residents $15.65 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year.
If the referendum fails, the City still must replace the public works facility in the next 10 years. To do this, the City would need to save $1,135,000 per year for 10 years. In order to achieve this, a 7.5 per cent tax increase would be applied to City property taxes.
The referendum will ask voters to supply a yes or no answer to the question: “Are you in favour of the City of Quesnel adopting City of Quesnel New Public Works Facility Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 1854 of 2018 which will authorize Council to borrow a sum not exceeding eight and half millions dollars ($8,500,000), repayable over a period of no more than thirty (30) years, for the development and construction of a new Public Works Facility?”
School District #28 trustee election
Voters must cast ballots for School District trustee in the area in which they reside only. (For example, if you live in the City of Quesnel, you must vote at a city polling station; if you live in Cariboo Regional District Area A, you must vote at an Area A station.)
City of Quesnel voters can cast ballots along with their municipal election ballots at Quesnel City Hall at 410 Kinchant Street; Correlieu Secondary School at 850 Anderson Drive; or Dragon Lake Elementary School at 2655 Quesnel-Hydraulic Road.
Cariboo Regional District voters can cast ballots at the following locations: Barlow Creek Elementary School, 816 Barkerville Highway; Bouchie Lake Elementary School, 2074 Blackwater Road; Kersley Elementary School, 2899 Arnoldus Road; Nazko Valley Elementary School, 9560 Nazko Road; Parkland Elementary School, 5016 Bjornson Road; Ecole Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary, 1533 Maple Drive; West Fraser Volunteer Fire Department, 243 Jackpine Flats Road; and Cariboo Regional District Library Program Room, 101-410 Kinchant Street.
Voters in the District of Wells can vote at the Wells Community Hall banquet room, 4269 Sanders Avenue.
Up to seven school trustees must be elected for the local district’s Board of Education. Candidates include: David Chapman, Wendy Clement, Tony Goulet, Gloria Jackson, Julie-Anne Runge, Roland Sawatsky, Howie Schonke and Cyril Tobin.
Read the Observer’s trustee candidate Q&A: Quesnel – meet your School District 28 trustee candidates
Cariboo Regional District election
Cariboo Regional District electoral areas A, B, C and I are near Quesnel.
Electoral Area A residents can vote at Kersley Elementary School, 2899 Arnoldus Road; Ecole Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary, 1533 Maple Drive; and the Cariboo Regional District Library Program Room, 101-410 Kinchant Street.
Electoral Area B residents can vote at Bouchie Lake Elementary School, 2074 Blackwater Road; Parkland Elementary School, 5016 Bjornson Road; and the Cariboo Regional District Library Program Room, 101-410 Kinchant Street.
Electoral Area C residents can vote at Barlow Creek Elementary School, 816 Barkerville Highway; and the Cariboo Regional District Library Program Room, 101-410 Kinchant Street.
Electoral Area I residents can vote at Nazko Valley Elementary School, 9560 Nazko Road; West Fraser Volunteer Fire Department, 243 Jackpine Flats Road; and the Cariboo Regional District Library Program Room, 101-410 Kinchant Street.
Area A and Area B will vote for candidates in this election. Candidates for Electoral Areas C and I have been elected by acclamation.
Read the Observer’s Area A candidate profiles:
Read the Observer’s Area B candidate profiles:
Plus, read the Observer’s coverage of the Area B candidate forum: CRD Area B candidate forum held in Bouchie Lake
Read more about Electoral Area C director John Massier.
Read More about Electoral Area I director Jim Glassford.
Proposed North Cariboo Airport Service Referendum
CRD residents will also be asked to vote in the North Cariboo Airport Service Referendum.
The proposed airport service asks that residents of Areas A, B, C and I contribute to the operating costs of the Quesnel Regional Airport.
The proposed annual contribution, called the North Cariboo Airport Service, would be based on property values and would amount to about $3.65 per $100,000 of the assessed value of land and improvements.
The agreement would last three years, with a total of $66,000 a year contributed to the airport by CRD residents.
The Referendum will ask CRD residents to answer the question: “Are you in favour of the adoption of Bylaw No. 5151, which would provide a contribution of funds for the provision of airport services at the Quesnel Regional Airport? The maximum annual requisition would be the greater of $90,000 or an amount raised by applying a tax rate of $0.0682/$1,000 to the net taxable value of land and improvements in the service area. (Based on 2018 assessed values, the current residential tax rate for the contribution to airport services would be $3.61/$100,000.)”
READ MORE: CRD to hold referendum on proposed Quesnel airport tax
WATCH: What CRD residents need to know about the proposed North Cariboo airport service
What to bring when you vote
Locals must bring two pieces of identification with them in order to vote in all elections, and all voters must be at least 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day, Oct. 20, 2018. They must reside in or own property in the area in which they are voting.
Find out which CRD electoral area you reside in here.
Voters must also be Canadian citizens, and resident of BC for at least six months immediately preceding the day of registration.
There is no need to pre-register to vote. Voters will be able to register at the poll stations.
Non-resident property electors are also asked to bring two pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property, and, if there is more than one owner of the property, written consent from a majority of the property owners.
Want more?
The Observer will be posting municipal, school district and CRD election coverage throughout the day on Saturday Oct. 20, so check out our website and Facebook page regularly for all the latest news.
Filter our election coverage on our website at www.quesnelobserver.com/municipal-election
READ MORE: BC Transit offering free rides on election day
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