by Phil Ambroziak

Meadow Lake city council is in for more of a shakeup than originally anticipated.

During tonight’s (June 10) city council meeting, acting city clerk Cheryl Dodds not only announced former town administrator Richard Levesque as being the first and only candidate thus far to file his nomination papers for the upcoming by-election to determine the city’s next mayor, but she also confirmed ratepayers will now be voting for a new municipal councillor on the same ballot.

“As acting city clerk it is my sad duty to inform council I received a written notice of resignation from councillor (Kim) Chiverton effective Aug. 31,” Dodds said. “As councillor Chiverton has given us notice well in advance of any deadlines for the by-election being held Sept. 18, this will not affect the election schedule currently in place.”

Dodds went on to say council will be requested to make a motion for a call for nominations for one councillor at its June 24 meeting.

“Then, a call for nominations for the position of councillor will be posted and advertised for Thursday, June 27,” Dodds continued. “The call for nominations for one councillor will indicate the same information as the call for nominations for mayor with nominations being received up until 4 p.m. Aug. 14.”

Chiverton was first elected to council Sept. 16, 2015 in a by-election held following the passing of former deputy-mayor Elaine Yaychuk. He did not publicly state his reasons for tendering his resignation.

Meanwhile, the initial need for a by-election to determine Meadow Lake’s next mayor came earlier this year following the resignation of now former mayor Gary Vidal. Vidal is now the Conservative candidate for the provincial riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River.

For more, see Thursday’s edition of Northern Pride.