Nomination day has come and gone and the official list of candidates for municipal council is longer than we could have ever imagined.
Twenty-three residents鈥�20 for council and three for mayor鈥攖ook the plunge on Monday, handing in their nomination papers during the designated two-hour window.
That鈥檚 10 more candidates than in the 2010 election, when 11 people ran for council and two ran for mayor.
Considering a month ago incumbent Rico Damota was the only confirmed candidate, the list is nothing short of a welcome surprise.
Now not only will Jasper have a real election鈥攚ithout the mayor and council being elected by acclamation鈥攔esidents also have a whole slate of choices for those positions.
The candidates range from retirees to young entrepreneurs, all of whom want to serve Jasper for the next four years.
With such talented and committed candidates, the decision won鈥檛 be easy on Oct. 21. That鈥檚 why Jasperites need to get engaged today.
Just like the students who are back at school, eligible voters need to hit the books and get educated.
That鈥檚 our job in all of this: ensuring we鈥檙e informed so we elect the best of the best next month.
To do that we need to put our candidates on the spot.
So if you catch them on the street, ask them where they stand on the issues that are important to you. If your paths fail to cross, email them, call them or attend the forum Oct. 9 and get your questions answered.
The 51暗网 will also be printing responses, in the candidates鈥� own words, to a host of questions that should give Jasperites a solid idea of where each candidate is coming from.
So stayed tuned for that and, in the meantime, engage with us. Send the 51暗网 your questions, concerns or thoughts on the issues that Jasper is sure to face in the next four years, and we鈥檒l include them in the paper and on our Election Talk page online.
The more issues you raise, the more accountable our candidates will have to be and the better informed the community will be as a result.
There are six seats to fill for council and one for mayor and it鈥檚 up to all of us to decide who should take those roles.
So get engaged, do your homework and hit the polls on Oct. 21.
