Lethbridge municipal by-election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Lethbridge municipal by-election was held Tuesday, February 1, 2011
to elect one aldermen at-large
. On October 18, 2010, Bob Babki was elected to the eight alderman council, in the regular scheduled municipal election
. He died on October 30, from a suspected heart failure, two days before he would have been sworn into
office. Minister of Municipal Affairs
Hector Goudreau
wrote Mayor Rajko Dodic
, and by extension all citizens of Lethbridge
, on November 18, that because Alderman-elect Babki was declared elected, a by-election
would be required. The Municipal Government Act requires the City to hold a by-election within 90 days of a vacancy, since the vacancy did not occur until the new council was sworn in on November 1, 2010, it would be January 30, 2011 at the latest, the February 1 discrepancy was not explained on the City election website. Of the 68,294 eligible voters, only 8,843 turned in a ballot, a voter turnout
of 12.9%.
2011 in Canada
Events from the year 2011 in Canada.- Crown :* Head of state - Queen Elizabeth II - Federal government :* Governor general - David Johnston...
to elect one aldermen at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
. On October 18, 2010, Bob Babki was elected to the eight alderman council, in the regular scheduled municipal election
Lethbridge municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Lethbridge municipal election was held Monday, October 18, 2010 to elect a mayor and eight aldermen , and five of the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 4's nine trustees . The seven Lethbridge School District No. 51 trustees were acclaimed, five being incumbents...
. He died on October 30, from a suspected heart failure, two days before he would have been sworn into
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
office. Minister of Municipal Affairs
Alberta Municipal Affairs
Alberta Municipal Affairs is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta. Its major responsibilities include assisting municipalities in the provision of local government, administering a safety system for the construction and maintenance of buildings and equipment, and managing Alberta's...
Hector Goudreau
Hector Goudreau
Hector G. Goudreau is a politician from Alberta, Canada. He is originally from the francophone area of Beaumont, Alberta, located just south of Edmonton's metro population....
wrote Mayor Rajko Dodic
Rajko Dodic
Rajko Dodic is a Canadian politician, who was elected the 25th mayor of Lethbridge, Alberta in the 2010 municipal election. Prior to his election to the mayoralty, Dodic served two terms on Lethbridge City Council....
, and by extension all citizens of Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, on November 18, that because Alderman-elect Babki was declared elected, a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
would be required. The Municipal Government Act requires the City to hold a by-election within 90 days of a vacancy, since the vacancy did not occur until the new council was sworn in on November 1, 2010, it would be January 30, 2011 at the latest, the February 1 discrepancy was not explained on the City election website. Of the 68,294 eligible voters, only 8,843 turned in a ballot, a voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
of 12.9%.
Results
Bold indicates elected, and incumbents are italicized.| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Coffman | 3,304 | 37.4 |
| Lea Switzer | 1,363 | 15.4 |
| George R. McCrea | 1,015 | 11.5 |
| Bal Boora | 944 | 10.7 |
| Ken Tratch | 876 | 9.9 |
| Blaine Eddy Hyggen | 771 | 8.7 |
| Wade Galloway | 237 | 2.7 |
| Kay Adeniyi | 231 | 2.6 |
| Kevin Layton | 72 | 0.8 |
| Rod J. Hoeg | 30 | 0.3 |
Candidate summaries
- Kay Adeniyi ran for mayor, placing sixth with 2.7%.
- Bal Boora ran for alderman, placing twelfth with 23.5%.
- Jeffrey Coffman ran for alderman, placing ninth with 26.9%.
- Wade Galloway did not run in the 2010 election.
- Rod J. Hoeg ran for alderman, placing thirtieth with 2.2%.
- Blaine E. Hyggen ran for alderman, placing eleventh with 23.9%.
- Kevin Layton ran for alderman, placing twenty-eighth with 4.2% in 2010, and placed sixteenth with 13.3% in 2007.
- George R. McCrea did not run in the 2010 election.
- Lea Switzer ran for alderman, placing tenth with 26.1% in 2010. She is the wife of 2001 mayoral candidate Mark Switzer, and was a public school board trustee up to October.
- Ken Tratch ran for alderman, placing fifteenth with 17.4% in 2010, and successfully ran for alderman in 2007.