BANFF – Banff’s elected officials have approved their roster for who will take on deputy and acting roles for the top job in the event Mayor Corrie DiManno is away or her seat becomes vacant.
Councillor Ted Christensen will take on the deputy mayor role from now until the end of June 2022, followed by councillors Grant Canning, Chip Olver and newcomers Barb Pelham, Kaylee Ram and Hugh Pettigrew – all for eight-month periods.
But Coun. Pettigrew, who is last on the rotation for deputy mayor and second last for the acting role, did question why newly-elected councillors were last on the roster, particularly the acting mayor.
“My question would be to the incumbents… if the acting mayor position could rotate a little bit more,” he said.
“I am thinking maybe some of the newcomers – myself, Barb or Kaylee – if there is any advantage to the acting position earlier in the term as opposed to the end?”
In 2017, council decided to appoint the deputy and acting mayor positions for eight consecutive month periods, with each councillor cycling through the role at least once per term to make it fair and equitable.
Libbey McDougall, the Town of Banff’s municipal clerk, said the rotation is based first on incumbency and then on the number of votes received in the general municipal election.
“The incumbent with the most votes leads off the rotation, followed by all other incumbents in descending order, followed by the first-term councillor with the most votes and so on,” she said.
“This schedule was devised to ensure new councillors have adequate experience before being called upon to act as mayor.”
Coun. Pettigrew said he was trying to get a better understanding of how the roster was made.
“I mean, if we had a complete change in council, I guess that would have made a different outcome,” he said.
The deputy mayor acts as mayor whenever the mayor is unable to perform the duties of the office, for example, during the mayor’s vacation or if the position becomes vacant.
If both the mayor and deputy mayor are unable to perform the duties of the office, or if both positions become vacant, the acting mayor will take on this role.
Meanwhile, Mayor DiManno has been appointed to several external committees by virtue of office, including Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Banff Lake Louise Hospitality Association, AUMA Mayors’ Caucus, Inter-governmental liaison, Superintendent’s Breakfast, and RCMP Liaison.
