The four seeking re-election from the previous council led the way right from the moment the first polls were reported.
Dave Aker was elected mayor — he had been on council for the past eight years — with 5,345 votes, defeating newcomer Travis Faulkner, who finished the night with 1,232 votes.
Councillor incumbents Jim Locke, with 4,812 votes, Lucy Stoyles with 4,331 votes and Andrew Ledwell with 4,298 votes were returned with the most votes among all councillor candidates.
Three new faces make up the remaining council seats: Isabelle Fry with 3,429 votes, Andrea Power with 2,994 votes and Bill Antle with 2,844 votes.
Aker said his team was confident going into the election. During door-to-door visits, people expressed satisfaction with the way things were going in the city, he said.
“At the doors we were hearing positive things, but people do not want an increase in taxes and they want better roads,” he said.
“The satisfaction level seemed to be very high and we ran with that in the campaign. Are we doing a good enough job? There are some changes we have to make, but generally the residents are saying the services are pretty good, please maintain what we have.”
Aker said his first priority as mayor will be to have a 10-year forecast done for the city “to see where the city is going” and a four- or five-year strategic plan put in place by the new council.
“We also have to get ready for a budget that will come down before Christmas,” he said. “The whole key for me is to make sure the city remains sustainable, and that we remain relevant to our residents.”
Aker takes over the mayor’s chair from longtime mayor and councillor Randy Simms. Simms, who had been mayor since 2007, did not seek re-election.
Voter turnout in Mount Pearl Tuesday was 39.63 per cent.
Aker said becoming a successful politician in Mount Pearl starts at the community level long before the decision to seek public office.
“Mount Pearl politicians audition in the community. They’ve long been involved either as a volunteer or a hard-working member of some organization,” he said. “That is the way I believe you audition for political life in Mount Pearl. And I think then, if you have positive engagement, the people of the city will allow you to become their leaders.”
