Yellowknife city council opts to fill vacant seat with runner-up from 2022 election

Yellowknife city council decided unanimously on Tuesday to ask Rob Foote to fill its vacant council seat.

Foote, the territorial manager of inventory and supply chain quality with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, ran for city council in the 2022 municipal election, placing ninth for one of eight council seats. With 1,444 votes, Foote lost to eighth-place winner, now-Mayor Ben Hendriksen, by 120 votes.

Council has been down a member since Hendriksen gave up his seat on May 5 to become mayor. He was appointed by council to succeed former mayor Rebecca Alty, who resigned following her election as MP for the Northwest Territories in the April 28 federal election. 

Foote told CBC News on Tuesday that he wasn't surprised council voted to appoint him.

"I know that democracy is always at the forefront of their decisions, so going to the next person in line to backfill a vacancy was something I kind of expected them to do anyway," he said.

Foote said he plans to accept the job once he gets an offer. Hendriksen said the motion to appoint him is scheduled for the May 26 council meeting.

Council had three options for what to do with its empty seat: leave it vacant until the next municipal election on Oct. 19, 2026; hold a byelection; or appoint a new councillor.

At a governance and priorities committee meeting on Tuesday, councillors expressed the belief that filling the vacant seat is the democratic thing to do.

Coun. Garett Cochrane said council should have an uneven number of members for its votes (nine, including the mayor). 

He said Foote was the best choice to fill the role because he had the strongest mandate of the unelected candidates in the 2022 municipal election. 

If Foote declines the job, said Cochrane, council should go to the unelected candidate with the next-most votes, and onward down the line until a 2022 candidate accepts the position.

"Our authority and our legal authority is derived through democratic mandates," said Cochrane. "If we appointed anybody else outside of that realm, it would put this council into disrepute and question the very legitimacy of our formation."

Coun. Tom McLennan said he preferred appointing a new councillor to holding a byelection because of the staff time necessary for the latter. He also said leaving the seat vacant would deny council an additional perspective while making decisions.

Coun. Steve Payne heaped praise on Foote, saying he's known him for years.

"He's a very fair individual. He has high morals, high values, and I think that he would be a very good spokesperson for the city," said Payne. 

Hendriksen said he would make sure Foote got the proper orientation. 

Council was unlikely to opt for byelection since holding one would take about four months to plan and execute, and would cost between $100,000 and $150,000.

During the 2022 municipal campaign, Foote told CBC that he cared about the local economy and wanted Yellowknife to become a leader in research and education, tourism and mine remediation.

Councillors make $36,238.05 per year.

Also on Tuesday, council voted in favour of a motion to appoint Coun. Rob Warburton as deputy mayor, to fill in when Hendriksen is absent.