Clearwater County council is exploring the idea of switching to an elected reeve or mayor, a move that could reshape the county’s governance structure and potentially impact future ward boundaries.
During the Apr. 8 council meeting, members voted in favour of a motion from Councillor Neil Ratcliffe, directing administration to research how to include a question on this fall’s municipal election ballot asking residents whether they support electing a reeve—or mayor—for a full four-year term, rather than having council select one from among themselves.
The question would be non-binding, serving as a plebiscite to gauge public interest in the idea before council makes any decisions.
“This is the one I get asked the most about,” said Councillor Genny Mehlhaff, adding that she’d like to fully understand what the community wants on the matter before upcoming ward boundary reviews which are scheduled after the next election.
Currently, Clearwater County council selects a reeve each year from among its elected councillors. An elected reeve or mayor would be chosen by all voters across the county and hold that leadership role for the full term.
Clearwater County’s interim council will serve until the next general election in October 2025. L-R Coun. Daryl Lougheed, Coun. Genny Mehlhaff, Deputy Reeve Bryan Cermak, Reeve Michelle Swanson, Coun. Barbara Gibson, Coun. Neil Ratcliffe, Coun. Jordon Northcott (Clearwater County)
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Reeve Michelle Swanson noted that other counties with elected heads of council have different governance models, including at-large councillors rather than ones tied to geographic divisions.
Since Clearwater County is such a large municipality, Swanson says that factor should be considered so residents can have proper representation.
The idea has been discussed informally for some time, including during earlier negotiations with nearby municipalities. Council hopes to finalize the wording of the question by the end of June in order to meet ballot preparation deadlines.
The motion passed with a majority of councillors in favour. Administration will now prepare a report outlining ballot question options, which will return to council at a later date for final approval.
Ratcliffe also mused about the possibility of putting other ballot plebiscites on the ballot, including how residents feel about subdivisions.
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