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Two new faces to join LV council table

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LAURENTIAN VALLEY – There will be two new faces around the Laurentian Valley council table for the next four years.

New Councillors Keith Watt and Brian Hugli will join incumbent Councillors Jen Gauthier, who led voting this year with 1,987 votes, Jim Sheedy and Allan Wren.

Steve Bennett was acclaimed as mayor earlier and Debbie Robinson acclaimed as reeve as well. They were unavailable to comment as they left the Shady Nook Recreation Centre early to help provide analysis for TV Cogeco's municipal election coverage.

Watt led with the second highest number of votes Monday evening, with 1,960 ballots cast in his favour.

He was feeling pretty good, he admitted, when he caught up with The Daily Observer.

“I knocked on a lot of doors this time,” he said. Watt ran in the 2010 municipal election and lost by 13 votes to Gauthier.

Watt estimates he knocked on 2,500 doors this campaign.

“I got on it a lot quicker this time,” he said.

Watt is retired, with more than 30 years of experience in property assessment and says he has the time and dedication to spend on the municipality – he believes that’s what his voters responded most too.

“I’m looking forward to making Laurentian Valley a better place to live,” he said.

Newcomer Brian Hugli, who received 1,812 votes, similarly is looking forward to bettering the township and serving the residents of Laurentian Valley as a councillor, he said.

This was Hugli’s first time running for council and he was a little surprised with the outpouring of community support, but very pleased, he said.

“This is a tremendous honour,” he said. “It was an interesting feeling putting that first sign in the ground,” he added. Hugli’s happy to be able to continue his journey, he said.

Veteran Councillor George Hodgkinson, the only incumbent who will not return the council table after this 2014 municipal election, like a true gentleman congratulated the two new councillors and wished the new council all the best in over the next four years.

“I’m disappointed,” he admitted. “I’ll be honest.”

This was going to be Hodgkinson’s last kick at the can. He was keeping it quiet, but planned to call it quits after the next four years and retire.

“Looks like retirement just came a little earlier,” he said.

The veteran politician served the township as a councillor for 11 years.

“I tried to do my best and serve my community. I really do wish the new council all the best the next four years.”

Hodgkinson went on to thank the ratepayers for their support over the course of the last 11 years.

Gauthier, who was new the council table just four years ago, was shocked she said, after learning she led in votes.

“It’s great to know that I really have made an impact in the township,” she said. “I plan to continue to keep taxes low and LV strong.”

After her first term, Gauthier says she’s learned a lot. She’s sad to see Hodgkinson go, she added.

“We had a good crew. But at the same time, we’ll make it work moving forward.”

The new council meets for the first time on Dec. 2.

The unofficial election results are as follows:

X Jennifer Gauthier: 1,987

X Keith Watt: 1,960

X Jim Sheedy: 1,949

X Brian Hugli: 1,812

X Allan Wren: 1,747

George Hodgkinson: 1,643

Bill Siebarth: 825

Joe Brazeau: 764

Darcy Roggie: 658

Dan Mazur: 410

(X denotes elected)

Voter turnout: 43.84%

Sarah Hyatt is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist.

 

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