Thind, elected MLA and trustee, wants runner-up declared trustee to avoid $840K byelection
Garry Thind, who was elected both a Surrey school trustee and a BC Conservative MLA in October, says he supports having the next-highest vote-getter declared a trustee to avoid an $840,000 byelection when he is sworn in as MLA on November 19.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on surreynowleader.com.
Garry Thind, elected as a Surrey school trustee on October 17 and as a BC Conservative MLA on October 24, says he wants the runner-up trustee candidate declared elected to fill the vacancy his MLA swearing-in will create, the Surrey Now-Leader reported on November 6.
Garry Thind cannot hold both offices under BC election law. When he is sworn in as MLA on November 19, he will be disqualified from the trustee seat, leaving one of Surrey's six trustee positions vacant.
What Thind wants
Thind supports a court application under the Local Government Act to have Gary Tymoschuk declared elected to the trustee seat. Tymoschuk, a 12-year incumbent, ran with the same Surrey First Education slate as Thind and placed 6th in a race for 5 seats, with the next-highest vote count after the five elected trustees.
If a court granted the application, Tymoschuk would take the seat without a byelection. "Surrey students should not lose $840,000 that could be going into classrooms to a byelection," Thind told the Surrey Now-Leader.
No application filed yet
As of November 5, Surrey's chief election officer confirmed no court application had been filed, the Surrey Now-Leader reported. The outcome depends on whether one is filed and how a judge rules.
Not everyone agrees with that approach. Anne Whitmore, who placed 9th in the trustee race, told the Surrey Now-Leader she supports holding a byelection.
The board sworn in without the seat filled
Six trustees took office at the inaugural board meeting on November 4: Terry Allen, Laurie Larsen, Bob Holmes, Shawn Wilson, Michelle Ceniza and Laura Lattanzio. Thind's trustee seat remains unresolved while the question of a court application is decided.
The Surrey Board of Education holds its next regular meeting on December 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the District Education Centre. Residents can follow developments on the board's website.
Questions this story answers
Why is there a possible byelection for Surrey school trustee?
Garry Thind won both a Surrey school trustee seat on October 17 and a BC Conservative MLA seat on October 24. BC election law bars a person from holding both offices. When Thind is sworn in as MLA on November 19, he will be disqualified from the trustee seat, creating a vacancy, the Surrey Now-Leader reported.
What does Thind want to happen instead of a byelection?
Thind told the Surrey Now-Leader he supports a court application under the Local Government Act to have Gary Tymoschuk declared elected to the trustee seat. Tymoschuk placed 6th in the trustee race and was not elected when the top five took the seats. This would avoid the cost of a byelection.
Who is Gary Tymoschuk?
Gary Tymoschuk is a 12-year incumbent trustee who ran with Surrey First Education in October 2026. He placed 6th in a race for 5 seats, receiving the next-highest vote count after the five elected trustees. He and Thind both ran on the Surrey First Education slate.
How much would a byelection cost?
Surrey Now-Leader reported the estimated cost of a school trustee byelection is $840,000, funded from Surrey Schools' budget. Thind said: 'Surrey students should not lose $840,000 that could be going into classrooms to a byelection.'
Has a court application been filed?
As of November 5, 2026, no court application had been filed. Surrey's chief election officer confirmed the city had not yet made one at that point, the Surrey Now-Leader reported. A court would have to approve any declaration that Tymoschuk is elected.
Who was sworn in as a trustee so far?
Six trustees were sworn in at the inaugural meeting of the Surrey Board of Education on November 4, 2026: Terry Allen, Laurie Larsen, Bob Holmes, Shawn Wilson, Michelle Ceniza and Laura Lattanzio, the Surrey Now-Leader reported. The sixth seat waits for the Thind situation to be resolved.
What does the trustee who placed 9th say?
Anne Whitmore, who placed 9th in the trustee race, said she supports holding a byelection, the Surrey Now-Leader reported. The outcome of the vacancy depends on whether a court application is filed and how a judge rules.
What can Surrey residents or parents do with this information?
The Surrey Board of Education posts decisions and meeting information on its website. If a court application is filed, it would proceed under the Local Government Act. The board's next regular meeting is December 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the District Education Centre.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
