Kings County sees landslides, squeakers

By Brent Fox

The Advertiser/NovaNewsNow.com

There were some landslides and some squeakers in the Kings County municipal elections. Voter participation percentages were all over the map, from 14 to 51 per cent in the various districts.

The incumbents generally did well in the balloting, losing only one of those reoffering.

Deputy Warden Diana Brothers, Dist. 6, and Coun. Wayne Atwater, Dist. 5, were unopposed and were acclaimed.

Coun. Madonna Spinazola, Dist. 3, did not reoffer, but her spouse, former councillor Dick Killam, won the seat with a 385 to 245 vote over Mervin Steadman, with 21 per cent of those eligible casting ballots.

Killam had been the councillor for the district in the years immediately prior to Spinazola’s tenure.

Warden Fred Whalen held on in Dist. 4 against Bil Scott, Jason Langille and Adrian Doherty. The numbers were: Whalen, 402; Scott, 316; Langille, 135; and Doherty, 122. There was a 34 per cent voter participation in the district.

The new council elects the warden and deputy warden positions in November.

In Dist. 1, incumbent Jim Taylor received 659 votes to 161 for his challenger Richard Harvie, a 28 per cent participation rate.

In District 2, incumbent Janet Newton fended off challenger Patricia bishop by a narrow 431-423 margin. Thirty percent of those eligible cast ballots.

In Dist. 8, challenger Dale Lloyd toppled incumbent Ted Palmer 531 to 479, with a 24 per cent turnout.

With 51 per cent of the eligible actually casting ballots, Basil Hall is the new councillor for Dist. 9, over Bob Best, with slim 489-474 margin.

Current Coun. Barry Peterson did not reoffer.

In Dist. 10, Coun. Chris Parker held on to the seat with a 551-525 vote over challenger Audrey Haig-Stewart, in a turnout of 33 per cent.

Coun. Eric Smith deftly defeated challenger John Morrison 353-76, with a 14 per cent participation rate.

Dist. 12 Coun. John Fuller held on with a wide 481-125 margin against Grant Leslie. Eighteen percent of the electorate voted.

All results are unofficial.