Skip to content

Resignation of Ashcroft councillor leaves vacant seat

The Village will be holding a by-election following the resignation of Al Mertens from council.
23949ashcroftMertens
Al Mertens

Barbara Roden

The Journal

Al Mertens resigned last week as a member of Ashcroft council. The resignation came 18 months into the first-time council member’s four year term of office.

Village of Ashcroft Chief Administrative Officer Michelle Allen received a letter of resignation from Mertens on Thursday, June 16 and informed Mayor Jack Jeyes and council. The resignation is effective immediately.

A letter from Mertens, explaining the reasons behind his decision, appears in this week’s paper (see page 12). When reached for comment Mertens said “The letter pretty well says all that I want. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.

“Maybe somebody else will have a different outcome; different to the one I was able to effect.”

“Mr. Mertens’s decision to run for office indicates a desire to serve the public,” says Jeyes. “But he apparently didn’t feel he was effective.

“I regret that he felt that he was unable to work with existing council to achieve the team’s goals. The rest of council seems able to work together to achieve the goals we set as a team.”

A by-election will be held later this summer. The Village is holding a referendum, tentatively scheduled for August 20, seeking voter approval to borrow up to $4.1 million for construction of a new water treatment plant. At the time of the paper going to press, staff were investigating whether it will be possible to hold the referendum and the by-election on the same date.