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At a Special Council meeting on Monday, May 5, 2025, Yellowknife City Council addressed the vacancy created by Mayor Rebecca Alty’s April 29 resignation following her election as Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories.

With 18 months left in the current term, Councillors weighed three options:
• To elevate a Councillor to Mayor and leave the resulting council seat vacant;
• To elevate a Councillor to Mayor and fill the open council seat by appointment or by-election; or
• To run a full by-election for Mayor.

Council voted to appoint Deputy Mayor Ben Hendriksen as Mayor. Maintaining continuity and avoiding unnecessary expenditures were paramount in their decision. Deputy Mayor Hendriksen will be sworn in preceding the next regular Council meeting on Monday, May 12.

The discussion on the resulting Councillor vacancy has been deferred to the next Governance and Priorities Committee (GPC) meeting, scheduled on Monday, May 12.

Before deliberations began, Deputy Mayor Ben Hendriksen commended Mayor Alty for her outstanding service, after which Mayor Alty addressed Council and the public.

A recording of the meeting can be viewed at: Calendar - City of Yellowknife