Resolutions

Whereas municipalities ought to be governed by persons with the foremost interest of serving the public in mind; and Whereas persons can gain municipal office without an understanding of the demands and needs of the position; and Whereas there are currently no such eligibility requirements; and Whereas such a requirement would be a deterrent only to those persons without the necessary commitment to serve as elected officials; Therefore be it resolved that the SUMA lobby the Ministry of Government Relations to amend legislation to reflect that, henceforth, persons are not eligible to nominate as a candidate for municipal elections in northern municipalities until they have completed a Candidate Training Course in municipal governance. Background Candidates running for municipal office may not necessarily possess a good understanding of the range of roles and responsibilities of elected officials. While individuals can run for municipal office for any number of reasons, the potential for candidates to misjudge both the depth and level of commitment required to hold office can severely undermine the work of council. Moreover, while ballots are free and open to anyone who meets citizenship, age, residency and other criteria, there is no bar to “nuisance candidates” who nevertheless meet those criteria but whose intent is not the serious contemplation of office but rather the spoiling of the ballot for those with the appropriate intent.