LaSalle residents are heading to the polls one year early.
LaSalle council voted Tuesday night to hold a byelection to fill the council seat left vacant following the passing of Sue Desjarlais last month.
Council was presented with four options by administration, three of which included appointing a new councillor.
Differing opinions meant four separate votes were needed before the majority of council could agree on the path forward.
The cost of a byelection is expected to cost around $100,000 and will be held in October.
Councillor Terry Burns wanted council to adopt administration's recommendation of letting the public apply for the position.
"I think it's a waste of money to have a byelection," Burns said. "We're looking at what's going in this community, and we don't know if Chrysler is going to be working in two years, or three years from now, so there will be lots of pressures on our budget going forward," he added.
Councillor Anita Riccio-Spagnuolo wanted council to appoint the runner up from the 2022 municipal election.
"I can't put an understanding of spending close $100,000 in a byelection for a year, next year we are going to an election again, and for me at this time I just don't feel like that is the right route," Riccio-Spagnuolo said.
Deputy Mayor Michael Akpata was in favour of holding a byelection.
"There's a price for snow fences, there's a price for snow removal, there's a price for salt, and there's a price for a free and fair election to make sure that the people get to choose who their representatives are," said Akpata.
Mayor Crystal Meloche was also in favour of holding a byelection and said this was one of the hardest decisions council had faced.
"I know the cost is a lot, I know $100,000 is a lot to everyone, but I also know how important it is that people get a fair say in democracy, and I also know that if there were something else going in the town that we thought was really important, that we would make sure we found a spot for that in the budget, and I don't think this item is any different," Meloche said.
The final vote was 4-2 with Meloche, Akpata, Coun. Jeff Renaud, and Coun. Mark Carrick voting in favour of the byelection.
Following the October byelection, the new member would be sworn one a week later, and would serve until the next municipal election on October 26, 2026.