Oxford Council By-election Set for January

Oxford residents are heading to the polls early in the new year, to fill the vacancy left by former councillor Wade Adshade.

Adshade resigned in September, citing stress as the cause, and noting that he was not in agreement with "the direction that Oxford is going”.

Oxford's 2020 election saw the town left with a shortage of candidates to fill the six council seats. That forced a "special election" in January, 2021, where Arnold MacDonald and Chrystal MacNutt were elected to fill the two vacancies.  

MacDonald now serves as Deputy Mayor, and MacNutt has been heavily involved in leading the town's Recreation Commission. The "Special Election" cost the town roughly $10-thousand, and estimates for the January by-election put it between another five to ten thousand. 

The town’s CAO, Linda Cloney, says the cost is variable, depending in part on the cost of pre-election advertising.

The 2020 election and the Special Election a few months later were conducted using internet and telephone voting, provided by Intelivote, a company based in Dartmouth that has provided online voting services for municipalities and other organizations since 2003. 

Intelivote is under contract for Oxford's next election. It also is contracted to oversee the next election in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The company, while still in operation, entered into a debt restructuring plan in September which will result in $6.8 million in taxpayer money essentially lost. Intelivote had received funding from Nova Scotia Business Inc. and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. 

Nominations to fill the vacant seat will open on Friday, December 2nd, and close on Tuesday, December 13th. For more details on the nomination process, go to the Town Hall or email info@oxford.ns.ca.

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