McNeil, a favourite among McLennan voters in election

Kevin Laliberte
Smoky River Express

Voters in McLennan have chosen their team of municipal leaders to represent the community on town council over the course of the next three years. And the list of candidates given a firm thumbs by residents in the Oct. 15th municipal election includes incumbents Catherine Dunne, Dwayne Stout, Eckhard Christen, Robert Bisson and Gary Braithwaite along with newcomer Lawrence McNeil, who led the way with the highest level of public support with 227 votes. “I’m really impressed and grateful for the support I received from residents in the election,” says McNeil, who is looking forward to the opportunity of representing the community’s interests on town council for the next three years. “Being a councillor is going to be a huge learning curve for me. I’m looking forward to the challenge of representing the views and concerns of residents on council,” he explains. One of the most pressing issues facing town council right now, he says, is to address development plans within the community. “There appears to be a great deal of public demand with respect to future expansion and development. A lot of people have high expectations for this council to make something positive happen within the community and I hope to make a difference.” Last Monday’s election saw 284 residents take advantage of their democratic right by voting for the position of mayor (two ballots were spoiled). A total of 281 votes were cast for the various councillor positions with three ballots spoiled. The voting results include an advance poll held Oct. 10 which drew a response of 24 people. The breakdown of voting results for other councillors is as follows: Bisson (221 votes), Dunne (195 votes), Christen (158 votes), Stout (119 votes) and Braithwaite (117 votes). The four remaining councillor candidates coming up shy in their quest for a spot on municipal council included Gerry Roth (112), Darrell Fiddick (95), Rene Dubrule (59) and Sharon Carberry, who received 55 votes. The voter turnout rate in McLennan according to administrative assistant Lorraine Willier was approximately 46 per cent. Christen, who returns for a second term on council, said he was pleased with the end result and the vote of confidence he received from residents. All returning councillors express a deep sense of gratitude to voters in the community for their continued support and confidence. That includes Dunne, who finished a respective third overall in the balloting process behind Bisson and McNeil, and was pleased with the democratic election process. “Elections are a healthy sign of a progressive, vibrant community and I felt very proud to be a part of it,” says Dunne, who acknowledged the efforts of all unsuccessful challengers vying for a town councillor seat in the election. “I just want to congratulate and applaud each of the candidates on a job well done. It takes a great deal of courage, self-confidence and determination to run for town council.” Bisson, meanwhile, is excited about returning for a second consecutive term on municipal council. “I’m quite pleased by the results, which showed a fairly strong vote of confidence for the incumbent councillors. It’s also nice to see Lawrence (McNeil) on board, who brings a fresh perspective and should be a great addition to town council. ” Organizational meeting slated for Oct. 29 The first order of business for the new town council comes Oct. 29 when councillors meet at the Town of McLennan for an organizational meeting to determine various committee appointments.