September 9th, 2021
Howard Arndt
Former Reeve of the RM of McKillop, Howard Arndt, says it *appears he has been acclaimed for the Division 5 agricultural seat recently vacated by Bill McKenzie. Arndt served as Reeve from the fall of 2016 to the Spring of 2019 in the RM until he resigned. The resignation followed significant upheaval after taxes doubled for some residents spurring protests. The province got involved, conducted a review of the RM, and appointed an administrator to oversee the RM for a year. There was a referendum that saw division boundaries redrawn, and a new council was elected. The government’s review found no evidence of theft, fraud or misappropriation of funds.
In a 2019 byelection, Arndt ran for the Division 1 seat, losing to Don Whitrow.
Arndt was contacted to confirm the information. He said he submitted his papers before the 4 pm deadline on September 8th. He said he was informed that no other submissions had been made for the seat and waited until the deadline had lapsed.
Arndt said he received a call from a staff member saying that they had received an email from the CAO confirming that Arndt was the new councillor.
When asked what this meant for the RM, Arndt said, “It means that the RM council is going to get a conscience. I have no intentions on creating any fights or battles. I am just going to ensure people know exactly what’s happening at council.”
Arndt said in theory, he may not be sworn in until the election date in October; he intends to be at the next council meeting on Tuesday, September 14th.
*The RM of Mckillop has now confirmed the acclamation.
- Jenifer Argue, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Note: These reports may be abridged for content