Sources close to the election in Redcliff say a recount is scheduled for this afternoon. Only one vote separates the final council seat from seventh place.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
The unofficial results are in, and the Town of Redcliff is looking at a significant shakeup on its town council.
Newcomer Bernie Bakker, a longtime employee in the Redcliff public works department, led in votes among councillors by a significant margin. Bakker won his seat with 684 votes, 136 more than the councillor with the next biggest tally, incumbent Matthew St. Pierre.
“That means that my interactions with the homeowners, with the town in my time as an employee there, it was validated. I was a very conscientious employee and respectful of everybody. And I think this reflects that,” Bakker told the News on Tuesday.
A first-time councillor, Bakker says he’s looking forward to learning the ropes in the weeks to come.
“I want to be efficient and effective. I just want to make a difference,” he said.
St. Pierre says he is excited and grateful to receive such a decisive mandate from the people of the town.
“I did not honestly think that I would finish second, let alone get in,” he said to the News.
He says his first priority will be helping new councillors settle into the role. Heading into his second term, he says he remembers the learning curve at the beginning of the term from his experience four years ago.
Then he’ll turn his attention to the budget.
“We’ll be trying to either not raise taxes, or if we do, it’ll hopefully be a minimal increase,” he said.
Larry Leipert will be the longest-serving councillor on the new council, beginning his fourth term.
“Well, council is definitely going to have a new face,” he told the News. “I’ll miss my former colleagues, but I’m looking forward to working with the new group to move Redcliff forward.”
Leipert says he hopes the new council will be able to mobilize some more of the town’s reserves toward infrastructural projects.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. We have some money in the reserves. And I’m not for spending all of the reserves, but I think we have $34 million. That’s not what the taxpayers are paying tax for.”
Bradie Burns, 27, is also a first-time councillor. After the stress of the election, he says the relief and excitement of the victory is welcome.
“There was a lot of people to go up against, so it’s certainly a good feeling to feel that Redcliff has invested in me,” he said.
Heading into his first term, Burns wants to revisit the school proposition with the hopes of expanding the mandate to include other recreational facilities. Overall, he’s looking forward to learning and finding out what he’s able to accomplish within his powers as councillor.
“From the bottom of my heart, it means a ton to me. This is never where I thought I would have been a few years ago. It’s amazing what having some people who believe in you does for somebody.”
Too close to call?
There is a close race for the last two seats on council. Only seven votes separate Eric Solberg from former mayor Dwight Kilpatrick, and only one vote separates Kilpatrick from incumbent councillor James Allen. Only two of the three will make the final council once official results are in.
A source close to the election tells the News that a recount is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Solberg, the leader of the three, is optimistic, but doesn’t count his election as assured.
“Recounts are really weird. You could swing 20 votes, and in this election, 20 votes is a lot,” he said.
After a term away from council, Solberg is hopeful he’ll be back, but he’s made his peace if he falls short.
“I’m still honoured to have run. I told myself if I was going to run again, no matter what the decision was, I would honour it. If I get in, I will serve my four years with appreciation.”
After 36 years on council, Kilpatrick would be disappointed to say goodbye.
“I’ve never tried to figure out how and why people vote, I just go with what the results are,” he told the News.
“I’m going to go down with the opinion that the council of the day did a darn good job. And the election sure doesn’t look that way.”
Kilpatrick said he’s disappointed in voter turnout, which is estimated at fewer than 1,100 voters. The town has approximately 5,911 residents.
“You can’t keep everybody happy. I know I made a few groups unhappy. That’s politics,” he said.
If the unofficial results hold, Kilpatrick will see another term as councillor, elected with a mandate of only one vote more than his opponent, Allen. Allen hopes a recount puts him in a position to serve a second term.
“Obviously I’m disappointed,” he said. “I didn’t go into it with any sort of expectation, but I was very hopeful. I really enjoyed my last four years on council, and I was really looking forward to another four.”
Allen says he will await the results of the recount and hope for a favourable result.
