The day has finally come.

It’s been nearly five months since Anmore’s mayor stepped down, and the village will finally have a leader again after voters cast their ballots this weekend.

Anmore’s long-awaited mayoral byelection is set for Saturday with three candidates in the running. Heather Anderson, Arthur Crossman and Robert Tribe will all compete for council’s top spot, which the winner will occupy until the current term ends in November 2011.

More than 220 voters already made their selection last week during the advance-voting day. About 1,100 more residents are registered to vote tomorrow.

The mayoral seat has been empty since Dec. 31 when long-standing leader Hal Weinberg stepped down from the position he held for nearly three decades. At 76 years old, Weinberg said he was ready to retire from village politics, although he still planned to continue his work at Simon Fraser University.

Following Weinberg’s resignation, the remaining four councillors were stuck in a stalemate for months, unable to agree on whom to appoint as a chief election officer. In January, a tie vote defeated the appointment of a senior village staff member. A few weeks later, a second tie vote vetoed the appointment of a retired West Vancouver city clerk, who had been Belcarra’s chief elections officer in the 2008 municipal election.

Finally, the province stepped in to resolve the conflict. Bill Bennett, minister of community and rural development, selected Sarah Morden to run the election. Morden operates a local government consulting firm, and Anmore will be responsible for the cost of her services – pegged at around $6,000.

Polls will be open on May 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Anmore Village Hall, 2697 Sunnyside Rd.

Voters must bring two pieces of ID to verify identity and place of residence.