-story by Troy Landreville, with files from James Wood
CUMBERLAND, B.C- The recount for Cumberland’s election is finished.
Former council member Roger Kishi had asked for a recount, following his loss by two votes to Sean Sullivan during the recent municipal election.
After a recount, Sullivan will remain on council. The recount found 603 votes for Sullivan and 598 for Kishi.
Moments after today’s recount votes were tallied inside the Cumberland council chambers, Kishi told the MyComoxValleyNow.com newsroom that said he accepted the results.
“I’m disappointed in the results but I’m satisfied now that the reasons for my applications for the judicial recount have, as best as they can be, resolved,” said.
“There were some things that were identified during the recount that hadn’t come out of the count on election night and on the determination of results.”
He referred to two rejected ballots in the recount and some ballots that, instead of being recounted electronically, were manually recounted.
“I haven’t totally figured it out in my head about how that actually changed the numbers,” Kishi said, “but that is the result now, and that’s been … certified by the judge and that’s what it is and I’m accepting of it.”
Kishi isn’t sure if he’ll run for a village council seat again four years from now.
“My focus is still around my day job at the Friendship Centre and bringing the Braidwood Project to completion,” Kishi said. “We’re getting close with that one and there might be other opportunities through work, that I’ll be working on some other affordable housing projects.”
He added, “tomorrow’s another day and tonight’s Halloween, and I’ll be handing out hotdogs at the rec centre.”
Kishi said “one of my almost final acts” as a village councillor is helping out at the Halloween parade in Cumberland tonight.
Sullivan said he was excited to serve Cumberland for the next four years, and extended a heartfelt thanks to Kishi for his service and mentorship.
