Iqalungmiut to go to the polls

Iqaluit residents will go to the polls Nov. 4 to elect two new city councillors.

The city is holding a by-election to fill two empty seats on council. One seat has been unfilled since December 2001, after councillor Mathew Spence moved to Yellowknife. Then, on Aug. 12, councillor Simon Nattaq resigned his seat.

The returning officer for the by-election will be Rick Butler, the city’s chief administrative officer.

During the by-election, council will also put forward questions to residents about what kinds of capital projects and infrastructure they think the city should spend its money on.

Council wants to determine the level of support for the city’s plan to borrow millions of dollars from the Nunavut government to finance major projects.

Then, in January or February, the city will hold a plebiscite on the borrowing option. Municipal laws say if a city is planning to go into debt, it must first get approval from its ratepayers.

Not all Iqaluit residents vote on the borrowing option. Only ratepayers — people whose name appear on the tax roll — will take part in the plebiscite.