Prince George voters will be headed to the polls in a pair of local elections in 2022.
On Jan. 15, voters will cast their ballots in the School District 57 byelection. The byelection was prompted by the resignations of former board chairperson Trent Derrick and vice-chairperson Shuirose Valimohamed in September.
Derrick was one of five Prince George trustees elected to the board, while Valimohamed was the Mackenzie-area representative on the board. The School District 57 board is made up of trustees from Prince George, plus one trustee from the Mackenzie area and one from the McBride area.
Andrew Burton, Shannon Freeman, Milton Manhoney, Audrey McKinnon and Brian Trotter are running to fill the seat left vacant by Derrick, while David Szucsko and Rachael Weber are running to fill the Mackenzie seat left vacant by Valimohamed. The new trustees elected in January will only have 10 months in office before they are back up for re-election.
On Oct. 15, voters across the province will vote in the B.C. local government elections.
Voters in Prince George will elect a mayor and city council, as well as elect trustees to serve on the School District 57 board of education.
Rural voters will elect a director in their electoral area to represent them on the board of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, while also voting in the School District 57 election.
Unlike the mayor of Prince George, who is elected separately, the chairperson of the board of education and regional district board are elected by the members of the board.
While the election is still nearly a year away, Coun. Terri McConnachie said she'll be seeking another term in office in October. Coun. Brian Skakun said the “chance of me running again are better than not.”
Coun. Susan Scott and Coun. Murry Krause said they were undecided on whether they would run again.
“I'm still thinking about what's best (for) the city and what's best for me,” Scott said in an email.
Krause said he expected to make a decision in the spring or summer of 2022.
Coun. Cori Ramsay said she planned to announce her intentions next year, closer to spring.
"I think it’s still a bit too early and would appreciate giving the school board election more space in the public sphere as it is a very important election for them, Ramsay said.
Coun. Garth Frizzell declined to comment on the issue.
Mayor Lyn Hall, Coun. Kyle Sampson and Coun. Frank Everitt did not respond to a request for comment by the Citizen.
