The proverbial writ has dropped for the Town of Crossfield’s upcoming byelection.
Nominations for the May 10 byelection closed on April 12, with three residents throwing their hats into the ring. Crossfield voters will decide among a trio of candidates to fill two vacant council seats. The candidates include Joanne Cornelssen, Jean Gauthier and Michael Knight.
“I have lived in Crossfield for six years and see this town as my forever home, said Gauthier in a Facebook post announcing his candidacy.
“As a council member in Crossfield I would like to be the voice of you, the citizens of Crossfield. I want to ensure that the town acts with transparency and accountability.”
Knight similarly posted his candidacy on Facebook, citing his volunteer experience among various boards and groups in town.
“I will be honest, I have never been a councillor or ran before,” he said. “But I promise to represent the great citizens of this town to the best of my abilities.
“My personal goal is to learn more from our citizens on what they want or would like to see in town. If more people are engaged and consulted with, I think incredible things can happen for our town.”
If elected, Cornelssen said she will “fight for what I believe in as the best for Crossfield’s residents and businesses.”
“Although I have no prior experience within the political realm, I feel that with my past leadership experience and as a business owner, I can utilize my skills such as financial, budgeting, suppliers and general business practice,” she said in a statement. “As a member of the Crossfield community, I can represent you and your voice to ensure that you are heard.”
The May 10 byelection will fill the vacancies on Crossfield Town council left by Coun. Devon Helfrich, who passed away in January, and Deputy Mayor Glenn “Shorty” Price, who stepped down from council in March due to personal medical reasons.
Since Price’s resignation, only three people – Mayor Jo Tennant, Couns. Kim Harris and Justin Gustafson – have served on council, meaning all three must be present at each meeting in order to meet quorum.
This will be Crossfield’s second byelection in less than a year. In October 2020, Harris and Gustafson were elected in a byelection to replace former council members Liz Grace and Beth Gabriel, who resigned in June 2020.
The two candidates elected on May 10 will serve on Crossfield's council until Oct. 18, when voters return to the polls once again for Alberta’s municipal elections.
To provide voters information on the three residents vying for their votes, an all-candidates forum will be held on April 27 at 7 p.m. According to the Town of Crossfield, the two-hour forum will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with video streamed from the municipality’s YouTube page. Viewers will have to submit their questions prior to the forum to [email protected]
According to the Town, an advance poll will also be held, on April 28 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Town Office at 1005 Ross Street.
For more information, visit crossfieldalberta.com
Editor's note: the Rocky View Weekly editorial staff intends to interview and profile each of the three candidates in the lead-up to the byelection.
