Town mayor wants to buck trend of election by acclamation

The mayor of Maple Creek, Sask., says she is hoping someone will try to take her job during municipal elections this fall.

Anne Weisgerber has been mayor of the town of 2,198 in the southwest part of the province for seven years and has never faced off against another candidate.

Indeed, Weisgerber who has served on town council in the community since 1991 told CBC News she could only recall one or two occasions when her campaign wasa contest.

Weisgerber says winning by acclamation is not a good thing, because it means citizens do not get an opportunity to engage in a discussion about local issues.

"When there's no election, there is no involvement. People don't get as involved," Weisgerber told CBC News on Wednesday. "It also gives people who are running, both for mayor and council, some time to say: 'This is what my vision is for the community. This is what I'd like to see happen'. And when there's no election, that doesn't happen."

'Unless there's a real issue, there is definitely apathy.' Anne Weisgerber, Mayor of Maple Creek

Residents of 795 Saskatchewan communities vote in local elections Oct. 28.

"We decide what we're going to spend the tax money on. What streets are going to get paved. Where we're going to develop," Weisgerber said, emphasizing the importance of local politics in day to day life.

"Unless there's a real issue, there is definitely apathy," Weisgerber said about the level of interest in municipal goings-on.

According to a provincial government report on the 2006 municipal elections, acclamations are fairly common in Saskatchewan.

The report found that in big cities, 11 per cent of the council and mayoralty position were not contested in 2006. In smaller communities, including towns and villages, 54 per cent of the candidates were not challenged. In rural areas the acclamation rate was even higher at 86 per cent.

"You don't do this job for the money," Weisgerber said about her interest in being mayor.

"I do it because I love it," she added. "And I can't even tell you why I love it. I care about my community, and this is what I like to do."

Weisgerber said she would welcome a healthy discussion about issues in her community, even if it meant voters opting for another person to be mayor.

"Yes, I could lose my job," Weisgerber said about her invitation to challengers. "And if the people of the community decide that somebody else is who they want, I guess that's the way it goes."