Change will be a big part of Monday's vote

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High levels of candidate interest along with hot-button issues like taxation, spending, development, and transparency have all been the marks of the 2008 municipal elections in Metro Moncton.

Change will also be a big part of it, as 65 candidates chase 28 positions in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, with nine of those positions guaranteed to go to newcomers.

People are talking and it looks like come Monday a higher number of them than usual will be voting.

So, as election day finally arrives, here's a review of the race for victory on May 12.

Three distinct situations exists in the tri-community mayoral races.

In Riverview, there is no race, as Clarence Sweetland returns to office unopposed.

In Moncton, there is no incumbent, as Lorne Mitton has chosen not to re-offer, leaving the race to George LeBlanc and Pierre Michaud.

In Dieppe, there is no love, as incumbent Achille Maillet and newcomer Jean LeBlanc wage an occasionally nasty campaign over development and their considerably different interpretations of the state of the city's finances.

Among council races, the greatest numbers of new faces are set for Dieppe and Moncton.

In Dieppe, four of the nine current councillors -- Francis LeBlanc, Robert Arsenault, Charles Cormier and Brenda LeBlanc -- have chosen not to re-offer. In Moncton, there will be three new faces following the death of Norm Crossman and the decisions of Doug Robertson and Steve Mitton to not re-offer. In Riverview, meanwhile, only Councillor-at-Large Charles Broderick has stepped aside.

Riverview has one particularly interesting race in Ward 1, in that incumbent Ron Davis has chosen to re-offer despite his January conviction on a summary offence of trespassing by night.

There is nothing law to prevent him from running again and because he received a conditional discharge, he can have his criminal record erased once he meets certain conditions during a six-month probation.

The odd situation, which legally bars him from going near the home of one of his constituents, has prompted some of the most vigourous debate in the streets of Riverview. While some want to see Davis dumped from council, others point to his long and committed service to the town and are standing by him. It also seems to have brought out the challengers. There are four running in the ward, compared to three candidates in Riverview's Ward 3 and Ward 4.

In Ward 2, popular common sense incumbent Bill MacBeath has just one challenger, though the challenge is seen as a strong one. Ian A. MacDonald, who was the capable executive assistant to Bruce Fitch when the highly regarded MLA and former mayor was a provincial cabinet minister, is vying to unseat MacBeath.

In the six-way at-large race are Riverview's only two female candidates, experienced incumbents Ann Seamans and Sherry Wilson.

Dieppe's race has been the most lively, following the agitation of a group of council watchdogs calling themselves the Dieppe Citizens' Coalition. While the coalition was small -- less than a dozen members -- its persistence in questioning the city has become a flashpoint in Dieppe.

While it consistently accused the city council of spending frivolously and misleading the public, some observers say it is the coalition that has played fast and loose with the truth. Others say despite Dieppe's high debt ratio, the city is on track, delivering the second lowest tax rate of New Brunswick's cities, and investing in the amenities that have made it the youngest city in New Brunswick, drawing the demographic necessary to longterm economic sustainability.

Still others say the small coalition was just the knife edge of a much larger but less vocal discontent, one that wants spending reined in through regime change. Romeo LeBlanc, perhaps the most vocal member of the coalition, announced his plan to run for council but then withdrewfrom the campaign.

In the one quiet exception to the Dieppe race, Ward 2's Paul J. L. LeBlanc returns by acclamation.

Moncton's mayoralty race has been a more cordial affair than Dieppe's, as no one has been forced to defend his record.

George LeBlanc far surpassed Pierre Michaud in an Omnifacts Bristol polling conducted in January, but since then Michaud has run an energetic campaign to increase his profile. While Michaud has been energetic and devoted, LeBlanc has offset his gains by unveiling a platform marked by considerable clarity and specific detail.

Council races in Moncton have seen a record number of women offer, and they are dispersed throughout every ward and the at-large race, giving the potential for different perspectives to come to the council chamber. While many candidates are retirees, there are some youthful voices being heard as well this campaign. Among those vying for seats in Moncton is the youngest candidate in the city, 22-year-old university student Vernon Lilles, in Ward 2. Meanwhile, Ward 2 incumbent Merrill Henderson is possibly the city's oldest candidate, but given that he recently took up skydiving, energy and willingness to change may not solely be the domains of youth.

The saddest election story is in Moncton, where the Ward 1 race has of course been overshadowed by the death of Norm Crossman. The veteran councillor had hoped to extend his already record breaking service to the city by running for another term. With Crossman gone, a number of promising candidates have come forward hoping to inherit his legacy.