ATHABASCA – Residents have spoken and chosen Darlene Reimer to fill the vacant seat on Town of Athabasca council until the next municipal election slated for 2025.
Reimer won the seat in today’s, Feb. 13, byelection garnering 86 votes compared to 25 collected by Stephan Splinter — the result remains unofficial until later in the week. The seat became available in October 2022 following the resignation of Loretta
Prosser, who initially won the seat in the 2021 municipal election where she finished with the sixth-most votes.
The need for the vote
Less than a year into her term, Prosser ran into trouble when she took a leave of absence from work and council duties. According to past reporting, Prosser had been away from her primary employment with a doctor’s note granting her medical leave, but after missing the Oct. 4, 2022, town council meeting, her fourth-consecutive absence, council voted down a motion from Coun. Ida Edwards which would have given Prosser one more meeting to return.
Ultimately, Prosser met the requirements for disqualification under the Municipal Government Act and she submitted her resignation letter Oct. 18, 2022.
See the Feb. 21 print edition of Town & Country This Week for more on the byelection.
