Ballots will be full for local municipal elections Oct. 18 as candidates were confirmed on nomination day Sept 20.
• Town of Stettler
Voters in the Town of Stettler will elect one mayor from two candidates and six councillors from 11 candidates.
Church pastor Will Brown will challenge incumbent mayor and longtime councilor Dick Richards.
Seeking one of six councilor seats are newcomers Malcolm Fischer, Boyd Jackson, Len Kosteniuk, Wayne Tebbe, Dave Thiessen, Peter Simons and Steven Wildeboer and incumbents Dave Garbutt, Leona Thorogood, Darcy Bachman, and Al Campbell.
An all-candidates forum is being tentatively planned for the first week of October. Watch the Independent for more details.
• County of Stettler
For the County of Stettler, voters in six of the seven wards will head to the polls as Councillor Wayne Nixon of the Donalda – Red Willow ward (7) retains his seat by acclamation.
Botha-Gadsby (ward 3) will have a new councilor as Kevin Baird and Greggory Jackson will face off.
Other areas could see hotly-contested races:
Byemoor-Endiang (ward 1) - Incumbent councilor Les Stulberg takes on Lawrence Wilkie.
Big Valley (ward 2) – Incumbent councilor Dave Grover is challenged by Terry Schiffner.
Stettler (ward 4) – Incumbent councilor Blake Chapman seeks to retain his seat from challengers Walt Saar and Chad Wilson.
Erskine – South Warden (ward 5) – Reeve Earl Marshall faces challengers James Nibourg and Danny Riggins.
Erskine – Buffalo Lake (ward 6) – Incumbent councilor Joe Gendre takes on Guy Neitz.
While voters in the villages of Big Valley, Botha, Donalda and Gadsby each vote to elect a council of three, each council will elect the mayor at the organizational meetings.
• Village of Big Valley
Big Valley voters have a ballot with eight names with newcomers Crystal Bardwell, Keith Campbell, Rick Kargaard, Lois Miller and Art Tizzard and all three incumbents Mayor Walter Stefanik and Councillors Wayne Garrison and Gail Knudson.
• Village of Botha
Electors in Botha will select a council from the names of incumbent Brett Danskin and newcomers Josie Hunter, James Muhlbach and Jim Renschler.
• Village of Donalda
Council incumbent Paul McKay is joined by newcomers Al Ebel, Bruce Gartside and Chad Whiteside.
• Village of Halkirk
Voters in Halkirk will choose from six names that include newcomers Peter Aitchison, Leona Chadwick, Jacquie Dietrich, Sherry Jamieson and Matthew Koenraadt and incumbents Dennis Cordel and Dale Kent.
• Village of GadsbyNames of candidates for the Village of Gadsby were unavailable and phone calls to the village office were unanswered.
School board will also require local representatives for the regional boards.
• Clearview School Division
For the public school division, the board consists of seven representatives.
For two seats for the Town of Stettler (ward 3) newcomer Andrew Brysiuk will challenge incumbent trustees Patty Dittrick and Peter Simons.
Election newcomer Rhonda Maginn challenges incumbent trustee John Schofer for the area of Botha, Gadsby, Byemoor, Halkirk and west Halkirk (ward 4).
All other trustees have been acclaimed – Cheri Neitz for Erskine, Erskine north, Donalda and area (ward 1); Yvette Cassidy for Big Valley, Erskine south and area (ward 2).
• East Central Alberta Catholic Separate School Division
No election will be held here for East Central Alberta Catholic Separate School Division as incumbent trustee Chris Nichols was acclaimed to represent Stettler and Killam areas.
Watch the Independent for brief profiles on candidates for town and county councils and school board.