A new face will sit at the council table in Central Saanich.
Newcomer Sarah Riddell topped the polls for council with 3,066 votes. Riddell’s reaction to her victory was “shock and joy.”
“It feels pretty unbelievable,” she said later when asked what it felt like to top the polls on her first run. “I’m looking forward to getting to work on the priorities in my platform and bringing a different perspective and new ideas.”
She will join a new council that will look very much like the old one, with five incumbent councillors joining Mayor Ryan Windsor, who won by acclamation.
Niall Paltiel, who received 3,049 votes, topped the incumbents in terms of the vote. “I’m humbled and grateful for the privilege to be returning to the council table,” he said, adding that he looks forward to working hard on behalf of hard-working residents. “It is clear we need to be doing more to address road safety, housing affordability and quality of life within our community.”
Zeb King with 2,809 votes, Bob Thompson with 2,489 votes, Gord Newton with 2,348 votes and Christopher Graham with 2,340 votes round out the slate of winning candidates. Newton said he is grateful to be re-elected. “(I’m) looking forward to working with this council,” he said.
Jackie Lee, who received 2,170 votes, and Geoff Krause, who won 1,025, failed in their bids.
Central Saanich residents cast 4,102 ballots cast for a turnout of 24.9 per cent among registered voters. Turnout in 2018 was 32 per cent as 5,059 residents voted.
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