Hugh MacKinnon is a good choice for Comox voters who were happy with the job Ray Crossley was doing before he died last year.

Crossley was a big supporter of youth and MacKinnon is expected to continue that tradition after winning a byelection Saturday for a council seat.

MacKinnon made a nice gesture by promising to donate his councillor stipend to a trust fund for Crossley鈥檚 two orphaned sons. Now MacKinnon must stand on his own as a councillor.

As he completes the final leg of Crossley鈥檚 three-year term, MacKinnon will discover how much work will be added to his demanding post as a School District 71 administrator.

We think he will be up to the task and we wish him well with a steep learning curve.

Runner-up Barbara Price got enough support to encourage her to make another run in November when all three-year terms in the province for councils, regional districts and school boards are up for grabs. Will she run for Comox council or try to regain the Area B regional district director鈥檚 chair?

After placing a strong second to Paul Ives in the 2008 Comox mayoralty race, Dennis Strand must be discouraged about his third-place finish Saturday for a councillor鈥檚 seat.

Whether he runs for mayor, councillor or gives politics a rest come November could depend on whether Ives runs again.

Former Comox councillors like Price and Strand, Don Davis and Amie Anderson did not place well in the byelection, and must re-evaluate their political futures.

Home Depot manager Pat McKenna got enough votes to perhaps encourage him to make another stab in November. Fellow political rookies Nico teWinkel and Derek Bouchard did not score many votes, but might try again after raising their profiles in the byelection campaign.

None of these decisions must be made now, but incumbents and challengers alike are on the clock to make decisions about their municipal political futures. editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com