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James Miller elected as Penticton city councillor

Penticton also voted yes to allowing up to 25 years for a Skaha Marina contract
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James Miller, the managing editor at the Penticton Herald, has been voted in for Jake Kimberley’s vacated council seat. (Submitted)

Penticton’s newest city councillor, unofficially, is James Miller.

Out of the 10 candidates up to replace former councillor Jake Kimberley, Miller received 1,666 votes, the most of all the candidates.

There were a total of 5,009 votes cast, with Miller picking up a third of them. The next closest candidate, Isaac Gilbert, finished with 766 votes, followed by Kate Hansen with 718.

In an interview with the Western News on election night, Miller thanked his supporters. He also shared how he plans to represent even those who didn’t vote for him.

“I’ll just work hard and be consistent. I know Penticton pays attention, and they’ve always followed council more than any other community I’m familiar with for its size,” said Miller. “For anyone who watches it or follows it in the press, they will see I’m prepared and willing to listen, and vote openly for what’s in the best interests of the people of Penticton.”

There will be no victory party for Miller. However on Sunday he will host a socially distanced coffee gathering outside the Prague Cafe in Penticton, from 10 a.m. until noon. It won’t quite be a day of rest for him after the campaign.

“There are so many people who worked on my team that I want to thank,” said Miller. “Then my campaign and sign volunteer and I will try and remove our signs, because I know they’re eyesores to a lot of people. Then on Monday I’m really looking forward to be getting back to my full-time job as well.”

READ MORE: Meet your Penticton Candidates

The results on election night are preliminary and the final count and official tally will be completed in the coming days.

In addition to choosing a new councillor, Penticton residents also voted on the referendum question of whether to allow the city to offer a contract of up to 25 years to run the Skaha Marina.

That was decided with a narrow margin yes vote, 2,453 votes to 2,416.

The 2018 municipal election saw a total of 10,883 ballots cast from an estimated eligible voter population of 26,502.

The next full municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2022.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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