City Hosts Info Session For Election Candidates

Municipal election candidates in Saint John will have the chance to learn more about the role of council members.

The city is hosting a virtual information session and question period on its YouTube channel at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Mayor Don Darling, who is not re-offering in the election, said this will allow candidates to campaign with a better understanding of the city.

“The decision to run for office is not one that should be taken lightly, but it should be incumbent on the city to best present the facts so that we can encourage those willing to serve to do so,” Darling said.

Three people are scheduled to speak as part of the information session.

City clerk Jonathan Taylor will provide an overview of the roles of mayor and council and relevant governance information.

Outgoing Councillor David Merrithew will speak about time commitments, workload, and expectations of being a council member.

Kim Poffenroth, the province’s municipal electoral officer, will provide information about the electoral process, including the positions to be filled on municipal councils.

“Enhancing democracy is a worthy goal, offering education sessions to prospective candidates, citizens, and other stakeholders is an important component of our democracy,” said Darling.

A recording of the session will be uploaded to YouTube after the event.