In a surprising turn of events, Mayor Doug Booker of the Village of Donalda resigned from his position, before the April 6th deadline of the recall petition against him.
Donalda interim CAO Kevin Bridges has confirmed to Municipal Affairs, that Mayor Booker resigned from his position before the petition could be filed, "Mr. Booker resigned from the council. Consequently, the petition was not filed."
The Donalda recall saga began in February when the then Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Village, Kristie Vallet, disclosed that a petition had been filed to recall Mayor Booker. Vallet, in a letter posted on the Village website, declared the petition compliant and stated that it would be considered sufficient if it garnered signatures from at least 40% of the population.
That would require 88 signatures in the community of 219 residents.
This resignation of Booker marks the third council resignation in Donalda in 2024, underscoring the turbulence in local governance in the small community in central Alberta.
Bridges confirmed that the May 22nd by-election will be for all 3 council members.
Notably, Donalda has been under provincial administration since February, following the resignation of two councillors before the filing of the recall petition against former Mayor Booker.