Dear editor,

With Comox Valley local elections coming up in less than a month, it is incumbent upon all of us to pay attention to the candidates.

In Courtenay, the same councillors are running for re-election to the six council positions, with nine challengers, along with Mayor Wells who has two challengers, including former councillor Erik Eriksson and Aaron Dowker.

In Comox Mayor Arnott is not seeking re-election due to health reasons, leaving current councillor Nicole Minions the lone mayoral candidate.

With one of the former councilors not running, and six council seats to fill, there will be at least two new councillors with seven new candidates running.

In Cumberland, Mayor Baird will be challenged by current councillor Vicky Brown, with the four council seats being contested by two incumbents and three new candidates. B.C. has an interesting legal issue in which council members do not have to live in the city/town they are running for election in. Comox has one candidate who lives in Courtenay and Courtenay has one candidate, an incumbent, who lives in Nanaimo. This is currently the law.

In Regional Districts A, B and C the incumbent is running in each, with a challenger for each as well.

It is said that democracy dies in darkness.

For democracy to live, hopefully thrive, citizens have to take an interest, become informed, and come out to vote.

Having all candidates meetings is important; whether this will occur is apparently uncertain at this time, making it doubly important that people become informed about the candidates as this election, like any other, is very important in deciding the future for each community and our Comox Valley overall.

Steve Faraher-Amidon

Comox