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Interest shown in fall election

Interest in the upcoming municipal election next month has been high according to the officer in charge of local elections, but local voters will have to wait until Oct. 4 to start finding out who will be running this fall.

Interest in the upcoming municipal election next month has been high according to the officer in charge of local elections, but local voters will have to wait until  Oct. 4 to start finding out who will be running this fall.

That is the first date on which interested candidates for the position of mayor and councillor can submit their respective application packages for the upcoming municipal election and chief election officer Maureen Fugeta has promised that she will release the names of individuals who have submitted applications to any members of the public throughout the nomination period, which runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 14.

Fugeta notes that there is interest in the Nov. 19 municipal election.

“A fair number” of individuals have so far picked up the respective packages, she said.

But she will neither release the names of would-be candidates nor the actual number of packages.

“We are not legislated to release names and I’m not comfortable to do so,” she said.

Other municipalities have handled this issue differently.

Officials in Vernon, for example, have shared with local media the number of respective packages picked up for potential mayoralty and councillor candidates.

“Some are comfortable with sharing this information, but I would rather do what the legislation says,” says Fugeta.

But Fugeta also acknowledged that this very legislation does not prevent her from releasing that information in conceding the arbitrary nature of this decision.

As election officer, Fugeta says it is her responsibility to ensure that the election itself unfolds in a fair manner in suggesting that releasing the number of packages picked up thus far could fuel idle speculation and rumours about who is running for which positions.

Summerland residents will be electing one  mayor, six councillors and two school board members on Nov. 19. Interested candidates have until 4 p.m. Oct 14 to submit their applications.

As of deadline, no individuals have publicly declared their candidacy. Summerland, again, appears to be bucking the trend.

Voters in nearby Penticton have already seen election signs pop up throughout the community.