As the nomination period for local government election candidates closed last week, a number of positions have already been filled by acclamation at the Regional District of East Kootenay.
Rob Gay, the longest serving board chair in the organization’s history, will be back for another term, as no one stood against him in Electoral Area C.
Similarly, both Stan Doehle, representing Area B in the South Country, Jaffray, and Baynes Lake area, will be back for another term, as will Susan Clovechok, as the representative for Area F, the rural Columbia Valley region.
There is a three-way race for Area A, the rural region in the Elk Valley, as Hungry Baytaluke, Thomas McDonald, Lee-Anne Walker are all running for the seat following the retirement of Mike Sosnowski.
For Area E, the rural region around Kimberley and Canal Flats, incumbent Jane Walter is running for another term, while Nowell Berg is also vying for the seat.
In Area G, the rural region around Radium Hot Springs, Brisco and Spallumcheen, Roberta Schnider and Stephanie Stevens are running for the seat vacated by long-time director Gerry Wilkie, who has retired.
The Regional District of East Kootenay board consists of six electoral area directors representing rural areas of the region as well as nine other municipal directors, typically the mayors, of Elkford, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook (Cranbrook gets two seats), Kimberley, Canal Flats, Invermere and Radium Hot Springs.