He was appointed as mayor of Bracebridge in July by his council colleagues but now Rick Maloney has been unofficially voted in by town residents.
Lori McDonald, the town’s Director of Corporate Services and Clerk, says the final voter turnout was 36.35 percent.
Rick Maloney received 52.8 percent of the vote, while Mike Opara was second with 26.8 percent, and Paul Campbell was third with 20.4 percent.
“Over the last several months, we’ve knocked on many, many doors and the comments have been so positive and I’m really humbled by the support I’ve had,” Maloney told the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom shortly after the unofficial election results were released. He added that receiving over half of the vote validates the support he got during the campaign.
Maloney, who was running for mayor for the first time, previously served as councillor for Macaulay Ward for 12 years and as the town’s deputy mayor for the same period. He said that being voted in means people believe in his ability to lead and trust his experience. “It’s a message that certainly resonates with me,” he said.
Around the council table, Don Smith will return as a district councillor while Andrew Struthers will be back as Macaulay Ward’s representative and Barb McMurray will continue as the councillor for Oakley Ward. Newcomers include Brenda Rhodes and Tatiana Sutherland as district councillors, Debbie Vernin as the councillor for Bracebridge Ward, and Barry Hammond for Monck/Muskoka Ward.
Archie Buie was acclaimed as the councillor for Draper Ward.
“I want to reach out to all of our new council and have a conversation with them,” Maloney said, adding he wants to hear what they heard while campaigning.