A longtime Creston town councillor has stepped down, meaning residents could be heading to the polls early next year.
In a Facebook post, the town said Jim Elford resigned effective Sept. 25, although the announcement was only made this morning. No reason was given and Elford declined to comment.
Elford was first elected to council in 2014 and has served nearly nine years. In the 2022 election, he finished third among the 13 candidates.
“I hold the utmost respect for Jim Elford personally, and it has been an honour to serve alongside him on council for the last five years,” mayor Arnold DeBoon said in a prepared statement. “His sharp intelligence, as well as his vast array of knowledge and experience will be missed at the council table.”
DeBoon said council members serve because they are passionate about the well-being and quality of life for and of their citizens and Elford “exemplifies those values.”
“He has provided our council with a great example of what truly serving this community looks like.”
Elford was the Creston Valley Citizen of the Year in 1997, has served as a volunteer firefighter for 21 years and been on the boards of minor hockey, the Creston Valley Thundercats, and the Creston Golf Club.
Chief administrator Michael Moore said a by-election is expected “in the first quarter” of 2024.