Following the closure of polls on Nov. 9, it took poll workers less than an hour to announce the unofficial results of the municipal election, determining which of the 15 city council candidates would be taking a seat in one of the six positions up for grabs in Moose Jaw.
Only three city councillors ran for re-election this year — Heather Eby, Crystal Froese and Dawn Luhning — alongside twelve new names coming from various backgrounds from around the city.
In order of votes received, the new city councillors are Jamey Logan, Froese, Eby, Luhning, Kim R. Robinson and Doug Blanc.
Logan, a local businessman who owns Strictly Fences, received 3,858 votes or 13 per cent of total votes cast. During his campaign, he promised to focus on uniting city council as many felt the previous council appeared divided in discussion, as well as to continue focusing on infrastructure improvement projects.
Returning councillor Froese followed behind Logan with 2,913 votes or 10 per cent, securing her a second term in the position. Froese promised to continue to work to connect community organizations with council as well as on heritage projects and infrastructure concerns.
Eby will also be returning for another term, receiving 2,899 votes or 9.9 per cent. Eby has served on council for 10 years and said she will continue to fight against the issue of child exploitation in the city and work towards attracting more business to the city.
Luhning is returning for her seventh term as councillor, after taking 2,686 votes or 9.2 per cent. Luhning said during the campaign that she will continue to work on improving council communication, introducing technology to the city and tackling next year’s budget responsibly.
Robinson will be a new face on council, receiving 2,195 votes or 7.5 per cent. He said during his campaign that he will focus on building civic pride, creating a future plan for infrastructure work, and help out already-existing businesses to boost economic growth.
The final city councillor will be Doug Blanc, receiving 2,132 votes or 7.3 per cent. Blanc also stated that infrastructure will be a focus for him while serving on council, as well as improving council communications in meetings and keeping residents more updated on construction plans.
The votes cast for the remaining candidates are as follows:
- Joni Brisbin: 2,115 (7.2 per cent)
- Jamaal James: 1,976 (6.8 per cent)
- Trevor McPherson: 1,750 (6 per cent)
- Earl Swalm: 1,671 (5.7 per cent)
- Jody Chell: 1,611 (5.5 per cent)
- Steven J. White: 1,383 (4.7 per cent)
- Doug Schick: 973 (3.3 per cent)
- Nicholas Styck: 512 (1.7 per cent)
- Dwayne St. Dennis: 375 (1.2 per cent)
The new city council will serve for the next four years alongside re-elected mayor Fraser Tolmie.
The results reported above are the unofficial results supplied by the City of Moose Jaw. Official results will be shared on Nov. 13 after ballots are recounted and confirmed.
Stay tuned for more details about election results.
