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#PMvotes2018: Dingwall elected mayor in Pitt Meadows as turnout up 10 per cent

#PMvotes2018:Voter turnout up 10 per cent
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Bill Dingwall watches the results at home with family and supporters. (Neil Corbett/THE NEWS)

Bill Dingwall and his team swept the 2018 Pitt Meadows municipal election.

Dingwall defeated incumbent John Becker with more than triple the number of votes, 4,308 to 1,200.

“It’s been a long day, but the results are extremely humbling,” Dingwall said.

He said voter turnout was up to 5,500 from just under 4,000 last election.

“I really appreciate the citizens coming out, but also the fact they felt there needed to be change – change around respect and listening to our community.”

Pitt Meadows voted for a mayor, six councillors and two trustees.

For council, Nicole MacDonald, who supported Dingwall, topped the polls with 4,146 votes.

Incumbent Tracy Miyashita (4,012) was also elected, as were other Dingwall supporters Mike Hayes (3,415), Bob Meachen (3,062) and Gwen O’Connell (2,497), who returns to council after not being elected in 2014.

Anena Simpson (2,335) was also elected to council.

Hayes, Meachen and Miyashita were among the many people who crowded into Dingwall’s home to watch the election results come in. They cheered all night, from the first poll and right through speeches. It was an emotional night, with Miyashita and Dingwall wiping their eyes.

“To me, what’s moving me tonight is the community engagement,” said Miyashita. “They stood up to be heard in a big way – bigger than I’ve ever seen in any other election.

“They are a fantastic group of individuals who have been elected,” she added. “I’m looking forward to working with every one of them, and I think we’re going to have respectful debate. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”

Mike Hayes told the crowd: “We needed to take back our city our community, our culture … our volunteers. We lost so much over the last four years, and now we’re getting it back.”

Becker said the campaign was not really about the issues, but more about targeting him, even attacking his character.

“It was really a campaign against me, and it has really been going on for four years,” said Becker.

He added the outgoing council did good work, while keeping tax increases to a minimum. He put forward a stay-the-course agenda, but it did not resonate with voters.

“I’m very comfortable with my body of work. I worked extremely hard, doing the best job I could,” he said.

Becker said he will watch the new council with interest, but not “rail against” their decisions.

“Good luck to them as they navigate the shoals of governing.”

For school board, former principal Katie Sullivan (2,478) was elected, as was incumbent Korleen Carreras (2,484).

According to the City of Pitt Meadows, the election saw a 40.08 per cent voter turnout, nearly a 10 per cent increase from the 2014 election. There were 5,575 votes cast this year.

In Pitt Meadows in 2014, 3,996 of 13,143 eligible voters cast ballots, or 30 percent.

That year, Becker defeated Hayes for mayor, with 2,114 votes compared to 1,589.

That year, Dingwall topped the polls with 2,417, followed by Elkerton, with 2,225.

This year’s election results are unofficial until declared by the Chief Administrative Officer by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct 24.

The new council will be inaugurated in a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Regular council meetings will continue beginning the following week on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

City staff are preparing orientation sessions for the new council.

Full results:

For mayor:

• John Becker, 1,200 votes;

(e) Bill Dingwall, 4,308.

For council:

• Brad Dinwoodie, 1,957;

• Janis Elkerton, 1,765;

(e) Mike Hayes, 3,415;

• Ariane Jaschke, 1,961;

(e) Nicole MacDonald, 4,146;

(e) Bob Meachen, 3,062;

• Susan Miller, 1,473;

(e) Tracy Miyashita, 4,012;

(e) Gwen O’Connell, 2,497;

(e) Anena Simpson, 2,335.

For school trustee:

(e) Korleen Carreras 2,484,

• Eleanor Palis, 1,529;

• Jesse Sidhu, 1,874;

(e) Katie Sullivan, 2,478.

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(Neil Corbett/THE NEWS) Members of the new Pitt Meadows council: Bob Meachen, Mike Hayes, Nicole MacDonald, Tracy Miyashita and Bill Dingwall.
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(Neil Corbett/THE NEWS)