The initial results are in and John Harwood has been re-elected as mayor of Clearwater for another four years.
During local government elections held Nov. 15, he defeated challenger Jon Kreke by 481 votes to 294.
“I’ve let myself in for four more years of work,” Harwood said after the vote.
Nevertheless, the win left him excited and optimistic, he said.
A priority during the coming four years will be making the community more friendly for seniors.
This will include providing more and better services for the aging demographic and keeping taxes reasonable.
Those on fixed incomes are already facing increases in their electricity and propane bills, he pointed out.
Premier Christy Clark has set up a committee to look at rural issues, Harwood noted.
One improvement he would like to see from the provincial government would be a change in tax structure that would give a rebate to rural or isolated communities.
Harwood has been District of Clearwater’s mayor since incorporation seven years ago.
Challenger Jon Kreke has been a member of town council for the past three years.
Elected to town council were Ken Kjenstad with 679 votes, Shelley Sim with 667, Merlin Blackwell with 598, Gord Heisterman with 545, Dennis Greffard with 533 and Barry Banford with 505.
All except Greffard were incumbent council members.
Not elected to town council was the mayor’s wife, Melanie Harwood, who received 412 votes.
A total of 781 votes were cast out of an estimated 1,300 eligible voters in District of Clearwater, for a voter turnout of 60 per cent.
The voter turnout was down by 80 from the last local elections held three years ago.
