Dave Mabell
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
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If he's nominated for a seat in Alberta's legislature, Ald. Jeff Carlson says he'll be taking time off city council.
But that's a personal decision, provincial officials say. It's not required by law.
Carlson is one of two announced candidates for the Liberal nomination in Lethbridge East. The party won't be picking one until mid-February.
But two more community leaders may be facing that question far sooner. Kim Craig, mayor of Coaldale, and Henry Doeve, deputy reeve for the County of Lethbridge, are in the running for the Conservatives' nomination in Little Bow.
They're running against a former county council member, John Kolk. The winner will be named late this evening, after polls close in communities from Coaldale to Blackie.
For Carlson, who just completed a rotation as deputy mayor, the plan is already in place. He says he'll take an immediate leave of absence once the premier calls an election - because campaigning, even in a riding that's voted Liberal for nearly 20 years, is a full-time job.
But in Edmonton, an official for the municipal affairs ministry says while that may commonly done, it's not required under Alberta legislation. Spokesperson Parker Hogan said until a council member is elected as a Member of the Legislature or a Member of Parliament - or is named a judge - there's no obligation to step down.
Those laws evolve, of course. Back in 1891, Charles Magrath served as the city's first mayor. That same year, he represented the Lethbridge district as a Conservative member of the North-West Territorial Council.