Few candidates in the running for municipal election

Ballots for November's civic and school elections will contain the shortest list of candidates in decades.

Just two people registered as candidates for mayor, 17 for councillor and 10 for school trustee by the Oct. 14 deadline.

Historically, few people challenge for the mayor's chair, but the position of councillor usually attracts at least 20 candidates, and the seven school board positions usually lure a dozen would-be politicians.

Coun. Harold Steves, a Richmond councillor for 44 years, suggested no major issues have surfaced in the last three years for candidates to challenge incumbents, giving incumbents "a tremendous advantage."

"So to run against a council where they expect nearly all the incumbents to get re-elected, a lot of people look at it and say why do I bother running," said Steves.

Heading into the fall, all councillors were expected to run for re-election. But councillors Greg Halsey-Brandt and Sue-Halsey-Brandt both changed their minds in the days leading up to last Friday's nomination deadline.

Had it been known there would be two council vacancies, the candidate list could have doubled, said Steves.

Steves said a lack of interest in the job of school trustee could be explained by the diminishing power of school boards, as the provincial government takes more and more control over budgets and policy. He said the fact three trustees are now running for seats on council comes as no surprise.

"If I had been interested in running for school board now, I'd look at it and say, well why bother?"

In recent years, voter turnout has also fallen. In 2008, just 22.1 per cent of registered voters cast ballots. In 2005, the number was 25.7 per cent, and in 2002 the number was 33.7 per cent.

Coun. Greg Halsey-Brandt, another longtime councillor, said he hopes the lack of candidates isn't a result of disinterest in the job, but said city council has been "a pretty closed shop" for the past decade, and suggested some people may have simply stopped trying for a spot in office.

The election for mayor, eight councillors and seven school trustees will be held Nov. 19.

Civic/School election candidates

-2011: 17 councillor; 10 trustee

-2008: 23 councillor; 12 trustee

-2005: 25 councillor; 18 trustee

-2002: 26 councillor; 13 trustee

-1999: 24 councillor; 17 trustee

-1996: 28 councillor; 16 trustee

-1993: 28 councillor; 13 trustee

-1990: 21 councillor; 14 trustee