Separate ballots are held for the position
of Chief and the five positions of Councillors. The
candidate for Councillor obtaining the most votes
is automatically the Deputy Chief. The term of office
of Council members is three years. The next election is scheduled for August, 2009.
Councillor Elections
• ᐃᔪᒋᒪᑲᓂᒡ
ᑲᒥᓯᓇᑕᐅᑎᓱᓇᓄᒡ
Any Elector is eligible to be elected to Council,
unless he or she:
- has been convicted of acts detrimental to
the conduct of free and fair elections within
the two-year period preceding the election
in which he or she is running;
- has been appointed as Returning Officer,
Deputy Returning Officer, or Assistant Returning
Officer for the election in question;
- is the Band Secretary or Band Treasurer;
- is a judge or a Crown prosecutor;
- is in prison for an indictable offence on
the day of the election;
- resides on the Matimekosh Reserve (CNQA,
Section 68).
The election of a Council member or members may be
contested within five days of the election by
submission of a written notice by any candidate
or any 15 electors to the Returning Officer, on
the grounds that non-compliance with the CNQA
or the Band’s by-law regarding the election occurred
or that the person elected was ineligible (CNQA,
Section 78). A Council member whose election is
contested remains in office until his or her election
has been declared invalid by a judge.
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Councillor Position Vacancies
• ᒥᓄᐛᒡ
ᒐᒥᓯᓇᑕᐃᑲᓄᒡ : ᐃᔅᑯᐱᐃᒐ ᐊᐳᐅᓐ᙮
The office of a Council member becomes vacant under
any of the following circumstances:
- if the election is declared invalid;
- if he or she dies or submits to Council a
resignation in writing;
- if he or she is convicted of an act detrimental
to the conduct of free and fair elections;
- if he or she is appointed Band Secretary or
Band Treasurer;
- if he or she is appointed as a judge or a
Crown Prosecutor;
- if he or she commences a term of imprisonment
for an indictable offence;
- if he or she is declared mentally incompetent;
if the term of office expires;
- if his or her office is declared vacant because
of unjustified absences from Council meetings;
- if he or she takes up residence on the Matimekosh
Reserve (CNQA, Section 69).
If
a Council member is absent without permission
from Council from three or more consecutive Council
meetings, except for reasons of health, any 15
electors may file a petition with the Band Secretary
to request that a special Band meeting be held
to decide whether the office of that Council member
should be declared vacant (CNQA, Section 70).
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Council Portfolios
• ᐊᐛᐸᑎᐛᓄᒡ
ᐊᓐᑕ ᐊᓯᓇᑯᓂᒡ ᐃᔪᒋᒪᑲᓐᒡ ᒐᒂᔪᐤ ᐊᑐᔅᑲᔅᑕᒡ᙮
Each member of Council is usually given responsibility
for specified tasks, known as a "portfolio".
Councillors do not have decision-making responsibilities
over their portfolio, but they are expected to
monitor it and to advise the other members of
Council.
Existing portfolios include the following:
- Intergovernmental Affairs;
- Environment;
- Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Rights;
- Economic Development;
- Health and Social Services;
- Training;
- Justice;
- Emergency Preparedness;
- Youth and Women’s Issues;
- Recreation.
Council is not obliged to create portfolios, nor
is it obliged to allocate them in the manner described
above.
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