Lumby to hold mayoral byelection after two back-to-back elections

Kevin Acton is no stranger to election victories, but winning two elections just one week apart is a first for the longtime Lumby mayor.

Acton won re-election as mayor in the municipal election on October 17 before securing a provincial seat as the Conservative MLA for Vernon-Lumby on October 24.

He says he had planned to run provincially but expected the opportunity to come much later.

“All along, the plan was to run provincially if I got the nod from the party,” Acton said. “We just expected it to be two years from now, not a week after the election.”

Acton had previously said he would accept the provincial seat if he won both races and step down as mayor.

He said his decision was driven in part by a desire to improve the relationship between local and provincial governments.

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“I absolutely love the job, love the community,” Acton said. “But there’s been some frustrations in dealing with provincial government that I think I can really help direct the province towards mending.”

He also pointed to what he described as ongoing tension between the province and local governments.

Acton’s departure means Lumby residents will soon be heading back to the polls for a third time to choose their mayor in a byelection.

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“Sort of, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” resident Ann Verhage said when asked whether she was experiencing election fatigue.

Another resident, Paul Gilfillan, said he was not particularly concerned about another trip to the polls, while Irene Yaremcio joked that she was getting tired of voting and hoped it would be the last time.

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The byelection is not expected to take place until the new year.

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“We would be looking at the end of January, early February as a voting day,” said Bobbe Koenig, the village’s chief financial officer and acting administrative officer.

It means Lumby will go several months without an elected mayor.

“Once Kevin moved on to that MLA seat, we would have an acting mayor system similar to when he goes on vacation, ” Koenig said. “So the councillors that were in place would step on up on a rotating schedule that’s already established.”

Koenig estimates the byelection will cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

Acton has pledged to cover the cost personally, saying he does not want the expense to fall on Lumby taxpayers.

“It was the situation I was put in,” Acton said. “So I joke around sometimes and think that maybe David Eby should pay for half of it as well but I don’t think that’s going to happen. But no, I don’t want to put that responsibility on the taxpayer of Lumby.”

Acton is expected to be sworn in as the Conservative MLA for Vernon-Lumby in mid-November, formally beginning his transition from municipal politics to the provincial legislature.

I feel really excited about the final, the way it all worked out in the end,” Acton said.  “I’m really excited to get to work.”