Bleaney romps to seat in Break O’Day
BY MATT MALONEY
24 Dec, 2009 01:52 PM
THREE new faces will join the Break O’Day Council next year with St Helens doctor Alison Bleaney topping the poll on 793 first preferences votes.
Dr Bleaney recorded 322 more votes than the next closest candidate, Cr John McGiveron.
St Marys community worker Hannah Rubenach and young St Helens businesswoman Sarah Schmerl will join Dr Bleaney on the new council.
Two sitting councillors — Henry Holder and Vic Cato — lost their seats.
Mrs Schmerl claimed the sixth seat after preferences were distributed edging out St Helens real estate agent Glenn McGuinness by 28 votes.
Councillors David Clement and John LeFevre were returned with Cr LeFevre benefited from a large flow of preferences after Cr Henry Holder was excluded from the race.
Cr Holder served some years on the old Fingal Council before council amalgamations in 1993, and had served intermittently for Break O’Day.
Long-serving mayor Robert Legge will remain in the role after a close race with Cr Clementis where just over 6 per cent of first preference votes separated the two.
Cr Margaret Osbourne took almost 49 per cent of the primary vote to remain deputy mayor.
Local government elections for Break O’Day and Glamorgan-Spring Bay were delayed this year, following a merger investigation between the two councils.
A completed Local Government Board report released in late October recommended against any amalgamation, which sent 35 candidates to the polls two weeks later.
