With five candidates running for mayor, 21 vying for council, another 15 challenging for a spot on the board of education and a referendum on the Stave Lake water project, the Nov. 19 civic election in Abbotsford should be among the most interesting in the province.
With such a large number of people working for your support, it will take citizens’ time and effort to vet all of them to see who is most deserving.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
The people who sit in council chambers are ultimately responsible for the property taxes you pay, the street-level services you receive, and the development decisions that shape your community.
Those who serve on our local boards of education are trusted with ensuring an adequate learning environment is in place for society’s most precious resource: our children.
The referendum will decide which direction the city takes as we plan for future needs and growth.
We urge you to take the time to research candidates and their positions on the issues.
To help with this process, The Abbotsford News published a special civic election edition on Nov. 10, profiling all the candidates. In addition, we’ve looked at their associations and experience, and published numerous stories over the past several weeks, covering the issues, and all-candidates’ meetings.
For the past month, we have delved in detail into the referendum question. We sincerely hope you have followed that coverage, and informed yourself on a crucial issue.
That information is also available online, at abbynews.com.
If you haven’t already, take the time to become familiar with those running for office, and then – most importantly – get out and vote.
It is your right and your duty.