A Moment with the Mayor: Lloydminster byelection

The recent resignation of Aaron Buckingham from Lloydminster City Council has created a vacancy on the council. With the regularly scheduled municipal election to be held on November 13, 2024, the Saskatchewan Government Relations Department strongly recommended that, as a city, we hold a byelection to fill the position before the November election. With this in mind, at the most recent City Council meeting, a motion was approved for a byelection to fill the vacant council seat on February 13, 2024.

There have been lots of questions about the process of a byelection and the duties of a councillor. The details of becoming a candidate in the byelection can be found on the city website here at Lloydminster.ca./LloydVotes, and hard copies of this information can be picked up at City Hall (4420 50 Avenue). Nomination papers can be submitted starting January 3, 2024, until 4 p.m. on January 9, 2024. Voting day will be on February 13, 2024, with advance polls held in the days preceding the byelection. To be eligible to be a candidate, you must be at least 18 years of age on the day of the election, a Canadian Citizen, and be a resident of the City of Lloydminster for at least three consecutive months and a resident of Saskatchewan or Alberta for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the date on which nomination papers are submitted.

What is the job of a councillor? A councillor is an elected member of the city council and is responsible for attending all scheduled Council meetings, Governance and Priorities Committee meetings and other local meetings as they arise. Preparation in advance of all meetings includes reading through the agenda and information package to become familiar with its contents to be able to vote on the issues and make an informed choice. You’ll be asked to represent the community at functions if other councillors are not available. At all times, you are representing the city.

City Council members also regularly attend the SUMA conference in mid-April, where we connect with other municipal leaders as well as the Premier and ministers from across Saskatchewan. As a council, we also attend the Alberta Municipalities Conference in late September, where we have the opportunity to connect with our Alberta provincial leaders and municipalities to raise our issues and profile at the provincial level.

As a council member, you can expect to hear from residents, business owners and others about their concerns and issues related to a plethora of areas relating to our city. The amount of time commitment required for this position varies. I would encourage anyone who is interested to reach out to our current council members or myself to learn more. Our contact information is available online at Lloydminster.ca/Council.

We wish Aaron Buckingham all the best as he continues to serve our city in a new role and look forward to working with whoever is elected on February 13, 2024.

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster