For an issue that pops up on a semi-regular basis, you'd think town council would have a standard response when a vacancy arises in its midst.
Oddly, that is not the case.
Instead, council always faces the same three choices – hold a by-election, call for expressions of interest and appoint a new councillor, or let the seat remain vacant for the rest of council's term.
As was the case when Mike Maher resigned in December 2016, council will undoubtedly do nothing now that Roger Candow has also resigned.
The two seats will remain vacant until municipal elections later this year.
Given the three choices available to council, that is undoubtedly the right thing to do for the latest vacancy. Holding a by-election to fill a seat for less than a year would be an unreasonable expense for the town.
It is not such a clear choice for a vacancy that occurs when almost two years remain in the term of a council, as when Maher resigned.
Calling for expressions of interest and appointing a new councillor almost never seems like a good idea since it appears somewhat undemocratic, and holding a by-election is still an expense.
So the easiest thing is to leave a seat vacant.
And – as we noted last January in an editorial about Maher's resignation – one of the possible arguments for leaving seats vacant is that town residents voted in 2012 in favour of lowering the number of councillors from eight to six, plus a mayor.
That was never done, but the close decision – 601 in favour of six councillors versus 575 against the idea – still hangs over council.
We think there is an alternative for filling vacant council seats which would cost nothing, be almost instantaneous and not put town councillors in a position of having to make a potentially controversial appointment.
We're positive it's not an original idea because it is so obvious.
Let's call it the Arctic Winter Games strategy.
Whenever a team is chosen for those games – like at the territorial trials for biathlon recently held in Hay River – the third-place finisher in each category is named an alternate. That athlete is ready to join the team, if necessary.
So for a municipal election in Hay River, the ninth-place finisher – assuming there are enough candidates – will become the alternate ready to step in whenever there is a vacancy.
It seems that would easily be allowed under the current rules, because council would simply appoint that person to council.
If Hay River ever goes to a six-person council, the seventh-place candidate could become the possible replacement councillor.
In a sense, the candidate who just misses being elected would permanently remain, if he or she wishes, a candidate for council in case of a vacancy.
Councillors would become the electorate. And with the power to appoint, councillors could accept or reject that person.
Hopefully, council would deem the candidate acceptable and complete the process with an appointment.
But, you might wonder, what if council rejects that person?
Well, you're on your own with that one.