Rebecca Alty set to serve 2nd term as Yellowknife mayor

Rebecca Alty is set to serve a second term as mayor of Yellowknife.

Nominations for the city's mayor and council closed at 3 p.m. on Monday, and no one stepped up to challenge Alty's leadership.

Alty said she's "excited" about the prospect of another stint as mayor, but couldn't say for sure why no one's running against her.

"I hope it's a reflection of the fact that I did well over the past four years," she said on Monday. 

Alty said she still plans to knock on doors and meet constituents.

And as for the next four years, she says she'll want to push the federal government for more infrastructure money for the city to continue work on bylaws that encourage the creation of new housing.

16 candidates for council

Sixteen candidates have entered the race for eight council seats, all but two of whom are men.

Three current councillors are seeking re-election: Steve Payne and Rommel Silverio are vying for a third term, while Stacie Smith is gunning for a second.

The other candidates for council are:

• Garett Cochrane
• Ryan Fequet
• Rob Foote
• John Fredericks
• Ben Hendriksen
• Devon Hodder
• Beaton MacKenzie
• Mike Martin
• Cat McGurk
• Tom McLennan
• Stewart Pallard
• Dwayne Simmons
• Rob Warburton

The next city council will have some major challenges to contend with: the rising cost of living, homelessness and a lack of housing, and the ongoing project of invigorating the downtown core, to name a few.

There are no wards in Yellowknife; each city councillor is expected to represent the interests of the whole city.

The mayor and elected council will serve a four-year term.

The city says any voter who believes a candidate isn't eligible to run can notify the returning officer in writing by 3 p.m. on Sept. 22.

Mail-in ballot election

This year's election will look a bit different from years' past — it's being held by mail-in ballot. 

City administrators say they chose to do it this way because a vote-by-mail system was "successfully used" for the 2021 referendum on whether to borrow money to build the city's new pool. 

They also say it would reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the event of a fall outbreak, and that it costs "slightly less" than a traditional election because it requires fewer staff.

A vote-by-mail election means ballots will be mailed to people on the voters list. 

Voters can send their ballots in the mail, put them into a drop box at Yellowknife City Hall, or they can bring them to either the Multiplex or the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on election day – Oct. 17.

The city says eligible voters who don't get a ballot kit in the mail, or who need help voting, can go to the Multiplex or the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre and be sworn in to vote.

Ballot kits will be sent to everyone on the voters list by Sept. 22. Yellowknife residents can check if they're on the voters list here.

The city says all ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Oct. 17, or they won't be counted.

CBC North sent each candidate a list of questions meant to help the public get a better sense of who they are and why they should get your vote. We'll publish their answers later this week.

The next mayor and council will be sworn in at noon on Nov. 7.