Today (Friday) is the day – the final day for anyone who may be giving serious thought to running for a seat on their local city council to actually make firm their commitment.
A judgment day, of sorts.
There has been no shortage of people who have already unofficially stepped up to the plate – dozens in both Surrey and White Rock, offering the voting public a veritable buffet of representation options on voting day, Oct. 20. Many are stepping forward with years of experience under the belts; others, after paying close attention to how those decisions at city hall have affected their neighbourhoods.
Still others have jumped in with little more than fresh enthusiasm.
They should all be commended, as the seats they seek to fill are not ones to which high praise is often delivered.
But, this editorial is not about these candidates – what they stand for, who they stand with or if they’ve chosen to stand alone.
This editorial – assuming it’s being read prior to nomination deadline at 4 p.m. – is for everyone else still mulling a crack at the role: those who’ve boldly stated they want to see change and know how to make it happen; those who have quietly thrown the suggestion out into the universe to test the reactions of people around them to the idea that, quite possibly, they might be perfect for the job; and those who’ve implied, or outright insisted, they can do a better job than those who have held the roles for the past four years.
It’s even for those who could almost be described as having “threatened” to run.
It will be interesting to see how – and for whom – the day unfolds.
For anyone still on the fence, now reading this in Friday’s afternoon twilight, there may be just minutes left to decide. Are you in, or are you out?
If the frantic pace of announcements for prospective candicacy in recent weeks is any indication, a flurry of new names at the last minute would come as no surprise, and could make 2018 one for the record books for both cities.
Regardless, the time for mulling is over.