P.E.I. communities hoping more candidates come forward for Nov. 7 elections
CBC
P.E.I.'s municipal elections are less than two weeks away, but some communities still don't have enough names to put on the ballot.
Crapaud will at least have a new mayor after former mayor Neila Auld and several councillors resigned more than a year ago, leaving a trustee in charge.
Auld is not running, but there are two candidates for mayor. The community still needs one more person to run for council, but Crapaud's trustee, Roy Main, said it's good to see nominations coming in.
"I think they want their community back," said Main. "They don't want an official trustee and I think that's a valuable lesson that was learned hopefully."
Crapaud is just one of the many smaller communities on P.E.I. that didn't have enough candidates for mayor or council.
The province has extended the nomination deadline for 27 communities, hoping more time means more people will come forward. It has also increased advertising to encourage people to run and give back to their communities.
The work can be rewarding, Auld said, as councils play a large role in getting projects going, including housing, recreation, water and sewer.
The work has also changed over the years, Main said.
"There was a time when government was pretty simple. It's not simple anymore. The demands, the requirements, the reporting relationships, are much more intricate, complicated," said Main.
"Most communities have one full-time employee that you ask to be the clerk, the administrator, the finance — you put so many roles on the back of what often turns out to be a part-time position."
Auld said councillors and mayors should make more than current wages which are around a couple of thousand dollars a year.
The province hasn't announced any wage increases, but said it's optimistic more people will come forward in time for the deadline on Friday.
Municipal elections will take place on Nov. 7.
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