No Interest in the Oxford Council Election

The by-election in Oxford is off. The deadline for nominations was 5:00 pm today and nobody filed papers.

It was the worst case scenario for Mayor Greg Henley. He put a lot of effort in trying to attract a new voice to his council. He promoted the by-election as a half term, a great way for a newcomer to give it a try without having to make the four year commitment.

It was also important to the mayor because he wanted a plebiscite as part of the election to ask voters for their position on closing the transfer station in favour of curb-side garbage collection. Without the by-election, the extra ballot question will not be asked.

Oxford struggled a few years ago to find candidates to fill the six seats on council. Most thought the problem was in the past as the town is growing and volunteers have had a dramatic impact on the arena, the Lions playground, and the plan to build a new community centre.

Town council must take the next step in considering another call for nominations. The matter will be discussed at the next council meeting but any date for a by-election will move further into the new year.

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