The Village of Empress

is nestled between the Red Deer River and the South Saskatchewan River, at the eastern edge of Alberta. There is a wild feel to this quaint village surrounded by expansive farms and ranches, pronghorns, coyotes and so many different species of birds. The recreation opportunities for adventurers and star-gazers are boundless. Come and see for yourself!

2022 Municipal By-election

The Council for the Village of Empress is composed of three Empress residents, chosen by election every four years. The roles of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen by the Council amongst themselves once per year.

The last regular election was on October 18, 2021. To learn more about that election, see our 2021 Election webpage.

A by-election for all three Councillors took place on Monday, August 8, 2022.

The new council for the Village of Empress is:

Kelly Burgess
Arlen Johnston
Dawna Martin

See our Meet Your Council page.

Official Election Results

Village of Empress
Election date:	2022-Aug-08
Number of Council Positions:	3
Number of Eligible Voters:	130 (# is from Oct. 2021)
Number of Actual Voters:	79 (60.8%)

First Name	Last Name	Elected	Votes	% of Votes
Kelly	Burgess	Y	49	62.0%
Leo	Hensel	N	20	25.3%
Arlen	Johnston	Y	55	69.6%
Dawna	Martin	Y	39	49.4%
Laureann	Patterson	N	19	24.1%
Yvonne	Robertson	N	21	26.6%
Neal	Sunderland	N	10	12.7%

Old Information

Voting will take place between the hours of 10:00 am and 8:00 pm, in the Curling Rink Lounge, which is in the northwest corner of the Empress Bindloss Agridome, 311 2 Street West.

Notice of Election, Notice of Nomination Day, Oath of Returning Officer

The nominations were closed 12:00 noon July 11, 2022 and we have (7) seven residents who stepped forward to represent the voters as councilors for the Village of Empress. In alphabetical order, they are:

Kelly Burgess
Leo Hensel
Arlen Johnston
Dawna Martin
Laureann Patterson
Yvonne Robertson
Neal Sunderland

Mark your calendars! There will be a Candidates Forum for the by-election.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm
At the Empress Community Hall, 314 Centre Street

Thinking about running for Municipal Council?

Below are a few of the resources that have been created by the Alberta Government, AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association) and RMA (Rural Municipalities of Alberta) to help answer some of the questions you may have about what is involved with the position of Municipal Councillor. There are many more resources available online. Another way to find out is to talk to your current or past Councillors, or the Municipal Administrator.

Alberta: A Candidate’s Guide: Running for Municipal Office in Alberta

Alberta: What Every Councillor Needs To Know! A Council Member Handbook

Alberta: Roles and responsibilities of municipal officials

AUMA: Life as a municipal elected official – Learning Never Ends (YouTube Video)

AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association) website

RMA (Rural Municipalities of Alberta) website

Government of Alberta Municipal Government Act

Local Authorities Election Act

Below are listed the relevant parts of the Act that are important to those who wish to be nominated. If you don’t want to read them, then perhaps you should rethink your desire to be a Councillor, since the position will require you to read lots and lots of stuff like this! So please download and read the Local Authorities Election Act!

21 Qualification of candidates
22 Ineligibility
27 Form of nomination
28 Nominations
29 Deposit
30 Disposition of deposit
47 Eligibility to vote
68.1 Option for official agent
150 Offences — integrity of the vote
151 Offence — candidate’s acceptance

Download the Nomination Form: Form 4 – Nomination Paper and Candidate’s Acceptance

Original Alberta government Municipal election forms

Adobe Reader must be installed on your computer to view these forms.