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Questions are being raised about the conduct of a candidate in the Point Douglas council race who is working for the ward councillor while campaigning to replace him.
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Vivian Santos, Coun. Mike Pagtakhan’s assistant is also running in Point Douglas.
Coun. Mike Pagtakhan is not running for re-election in Point Douglas but his executive assistant, Vivian Santos, is one of three candidates who want his former job.
While the City of Winnipeg Charter requires civic employees who are running for council to take a leave of absence once the nomination period closes (which would be 4:30 p.m. Tuesday), that does not apply to councillors’ executive assistants, who work on contract directly with the councillor.
Santos said she’s been careful to campaign only outside office hours, adding she reworked her contract with Pagtakhan to work part-time, effective Sept. 1.
"I double-checked that I didn’t need to take a leave of absence and that I’m not breaking any laws, and I’m not," Santos said, adding she checked with both the city clerk’s office and the integrity officer to ensure she could continue working.
"So long as I keep my work for councillor Mike separate from campaigning, and don’t use any city resources while campaigning, I can do both."
However, her challengers said the situation is unfair.
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Kate Sjoberg
"It would be very difficult for a person in her position to respond to the concerns that come to a councillor’s office and divest herself of her election work while doing that," said Kate Sjoberg. "I think she should take a leave of absence.
"She has access to information that no other candidate has. People want a fair fight, and even the perception it might not be fair is not great."
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Dean Koshelanyk said the situation is part of the inherent unfairness of an election process that favours incumbents over challengers — and now an incumbent’s assistant.
"It’s one of those things that we have to deal with," he said. "It’s not the best thing in the world. There are no rules against it other than a person’s own integrity and moral compass."
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Dean Koshelanyk registered as a candidate for Point Douglas ward on July 5.
Pagtakhan said he encouraged Santos to run, and said he sees nothing wrong with her continuing to work for him while campaigning in her off-hours.
"There is still work to be done in my constituency office, and Vivian is not breaking any rules," Pagtakhan said.
Santos said her competitors may not like it, but she has no intention of taking a leave of absence.
"I’m not breaking any rules," she said. "I still need a job. We’re a working-class family. We have kids. My mom lives with us now. It would be difficult for me to take a leave of absence for three months."
Aldo Santin Reporter
Aldo Santin is a veteran newspaper reporter who first carried a pen and notepad in 1978 and joined the Winnipeg Free Press in 1986, where he has covered a variety of beats and specialty areas including education, aboriginal issues, urban and downtown development. Santin has been covering city hall since 2013.
Janice Lukes has been acclaimed as the councillor for the new ward of Waverley West.
Janice Lukes has been acclaimed as the councillor for the new ward of Waverley West.
Lukes is the only council candidate acclaimed for the Oct. 24 Winnipeg civic election. While 10 candidates had registered for the mayoral campaign, only eight filed their nomination papers, including incumbent Brian Bowman.
Lukes was first elected in 2014 for the old ward of St. Norbert (currently called South Winnipeg-St. Norbert). It was effectively split into two following a review by the 2017 wards boundary review commission: Waverley West and St. Norbert-Seine River.
The deadline for all candidates to file their nomination papers was Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
The city’s clerk’s office released the following list of nominated candidates for mayor and ward councillors. Candidates have until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to withdraw their names. An official list of candidates, whose names will appear on the Oct. 24 ballot, will be released soon after.
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