With 60.9 per cent of the vote, Tom Shypitka has been elected to Cranbrook’s mayoral seat.
Shypitka with 3,378 votes beat out Lynnette Wray who had 2,171 votes.
“It’s been a nerve wracking campaign. I’ve never been in a municipal election, like one on one before. I’ve been as a councillor, but it’s a little bit different. When you’re in a municipality in a municipal election, everybody knows everybody, especially in a town like Cranbrook,” he said.
“I thought it was going to be a 50-50 kind of thing and pleasantly surprised there was a bit of wider gap than that.”
Shypitak said voter turnout was very encouraging to see.
“They came out, I believe, in record numbers. A lot more than the last civic election for sure. And that’s a good sign, because when you get a lot of people showing up, that means the odds are that the voice has been heard,” he said.
For councillors, Shaun Penner got nearly 4,000 votes, and will be joining Joe McGowan (2,885 votes), Robin Goldsbury (2,663 votes), Bruce Murdoch (2,561 votes), Wayne Price (2,393 votes) and Ron Miles (2,227) around the council table.
Shypitka said he’s eager to get working with them.
“I have a really awesome council that is diverse, and we’re gonna get our priorities straight here pretty quick, and we’re gonna move fast.”
The City will announce the official results on Monday, Oct. 19.
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