Chairperson Fred Leard has decided not to re-offer for what now becomes mayor’s chair after the community opted to become a town earlier this year.
Along with nominee Jamie Hagen, two current councillors, Shane MacLean and Dean Sexton, are vying to become mayor.
Eleven candidates put their names forward for the town’s six councillor spots: incumbents Mary MacDonald-Pickering, Trent DesRoches and Raymond Hinchey, as well as Randy Ahearn, Larry Allen, Stephen Hunter, Ralph MacDonald, Charles MacKenzie, Oliver Ray, George Ramsay and Eric Stewart.
Polls will be open all day in Borden-Carleton. All told, 69 municipalities across the province are holding either polling days or nomination meetings.
“We’re seeing a lot of attention being paid to municipal elections this year,” said John Chisholm, a senior officer with the department of municipal affairs.
“I think people are starting to notice that municipalities provide a service… within a region.”
In Kensington, Gordon Coffin was acclaimed as mayor after no other candidates put their names forward by Monday’s nomination deadline. Seven candidates have offered for the town’s six council seats, however, which will trigger an election.
Ken Simmonds and Rodney Mann will challenge incumbents Rowan Caseley, Mack MacLean, Jeff Spencer, Gary Gallant and Marvin Mill for seats around the council table. Kensington’s current deputy mayor, Paul Chessman, is not re-offering.
Kensington’s voting booths will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the town hall.
The province is holding municipal elections this year in order to bring all communities in line with the 2014 provincial election. All winners on Nov. 5 will serve an abbreviated two-year term.
Summerside, Charlottetown, Cornwall, Stratford and the Resort Municipality each held elections in 2010, so voters in those areas will not go to the polls next month.
Sixty smaller communities on the Island, including 11 in East Prince, will hold nomination meetings on Nov. 5.
“At that meeting, nominations will come forward from the floor from a nominating committee, and then people will go behind the screen in a secret ballot and put down the names of the people they’re choosing for their chairperson and their councillors,” Chisholm explained.
Voters seeking more information on the municipal elections can visit the muncipal affairs' election website
