Incumbent Mayor Alice Finall has survived election night in North Saanich.
Finall defeated challenger Dorothy Hartshorne with 2,416 votes to 2,258.
Finall will also oversee a changing of the guard in North Saanich as four of the five Team North Saanich slate candidates were not elected. Making up the new council will be Geoff Orr, Heather Gartshore, Jack Thornburgh, Celia Stock, Murray Weisenberger and Jack McClintock
McClintock was the lone Team North Saanich member to get in, tied with Weisenberger at 1,904 votes in the preliminary results out of the District Saturday night.
Finall told the News Review Saturday night that she felt the result was a vindication of her position on council these last three years — one of supporting the official community plan and trying to maintain civility at the council table.
“I’m extremely pleased,” she said, adding voters didn’t like the behaviour of the previous council.
“This vote is almost identical to the votes I received in 2008,” she said.
Finall was returned as mayor of North Saanich in 2011 after being unchallenged.
The behaviour of council was a hot issue this election and Finall said she has no immediate plans to address the matter, noting that those people elected Saturday night “have shown they can conduct themselves in a civil manner.”
Preliminary Results (www.civicinfo.bc.ca)
Mayor
Alice Finall – 2,416
Dorothy Hartshorne – 2,258
Peter Miller – 62 (Miller withdrew from the race after the printing of the ballots)
David Shebib – 23
Councillor
Geoff Orr – 3,367
Heather Gartshore – 3,248
Jack Thornburgh – 3,000
Celia Stock – 2,938
Murray Weisenberger – 1,904
Jack McClintock – 1,904
Steve Pearce – 1,899
Craig Mearns – 1,673
Conny McBride – 1,601
Dunstan Browne – 1,528
Referendum question on amalgamation
Yes – 2,881
No – 1,727
School trustee
Marty Robb – 978
Elsie McMurphy – 2,320
Barb Menzies – 2,723
Voter turnout: 54%
