The Minister of Municipal Affairs has appointed an administrator for the Village of Big Valley to take on the powers and duties of the council until quorum is restored.
This comes after Mayor Clark German and Deputy Mayor Amber Hoonenberg resigned. Mayor German resigned on November 21 a day after a council meeting and Hoonenberg resigned the next day. One hotly discussed issue at the meeting was council remuneration.
Gene Sobolewski was appointed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs as the official administrator to assume council duties last week. Since Big Valley has a council of three, it is no longer able to establish quorum to govern. The lone councillor remaining is Dan Houle.
This is not the first resignation since the last general municipal election. Councillor Gail Knudsen resigned in August of 2022. In the byelection that followed German was acclaimed.
Big Valley CAO Coleen Mayne explains that at its meeting on December 18, they are giving Mr Soboblewski signing authority and to pass an interim budget.
The date has not been a date set for nominations for a byelection, however Mayne expects it will happen in March.
