In the small town of Kyle in Saskatchewan, Canada, with a population of just over 400 people, an upcoming mayoral election scheduled for mid-November is facing a unique challenge – no one has stepped forward to run for the position, leading to concerns of a potential election failure and a vacancy in the mayor’s office.
According to a report by Canadian radio station CKOM, the current mayor of Kyle, George Williams, who was elected and took office in 2021, is set to retire this year. The town had planned to hold the election for the next mayor on November 13, but so far, there have been no candidates putting themselves forward for the position.
Kyle’s Chief Administrative Officer, Amber Dashney, mentioned that the town has already held two rounds of nominations for the mayoral candidacy, but no one has shown interest in participating.
Dashney stated, “It’s a bit concerning, but I believe someone will step up.”
If no one comes forward to run for mayor before election day, Dashney mentioned that the town council’s first meeting will appoint a deputy mayor to temporarily fill the position.
She added, “At that meeting, we will decide on the date for a by-election. We will continue to hold by-elections until we fill the positions of mayor and other council members.”
Data from Statistics Canada in 2021 indicated that Kyle’s population stands at 413 people.
Noteworthy attractions in the town include a vintage car drive-in movie theater dating back to the 1950s (which still operates during the summer), an annual beach volleyball championship, and an upcoming dog park.
Gordon Barnhart, former chair of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), expressed that situations where no one runs for councillor or mayor do occur occasionally in smaller communities.
Barnhart mentioned, “I’m not sure how common it is, but it’s not unheard of.”
He pointed out that in small communities, it can be challenging to find enough individuals willing and capable to run for mayor or councillor. While there may be a limited pool of candidates in towns and villages, people’s availability and confidence might also serve as barriers to their candidacy.
In a statement, SUMA remarked that while such occurrences are rare, situations where no one runs for mayor or only a few individuals run for council are not unprecedented. In almost all cases, there will be individuals who step forward for the next by-election to fill the vacant position.
As for which communities currently lack mayoral candidates this year, the association noted that they do not have specific data regarding this matter.