By Frank Peebles
Special to the Observer
When all 2,694 votes were counted, there was a little familiarity and a little freshness around the new board table for School District 28 (Quesnel).
The most familiar face of all belongs to that of Tony Goulet. He has been an SD28 trustee for the past two decades, he was the most recent chair of the board table, and his 1,634 votes were second highest of this election, giving him a mandate for four more years.
Goulet is one of those rare candidates in British Columbia who ran for office in more than one electoral field. For the second election in a row he successfully won office for both school district and the City of Quesnel’s council table.
Another of the familiar trustees is five-time incumbent David Chapman, a past board chair. He got 1,037 votes this time, which was enough to bring him back to add four more years to the 17 he has already accrued as a Quesnel trustee.
Julie-Anne Runge’s 1,575 votes returned her to the board table with the night’s third highest total. This incumbent also has some context with the City of Quesnel as her husband was also voted in as a returning councillor.
The four newcomers were led, in vote tally, by Lisa Boudreau who topped the SD28 overall polls with 1,940 marks on the ballot. She has been the longtime president of the city’s District Parent Advisory Council, among other education-related positions, so she was no stranger to the school district despite this being her first call to the trustees’ table.
Next for new trustees was Melissa Huska who came in at 1,303, just one vote more than Honey Affleck. The remaining seat went to another rookie trustee, Cheri Mainsonneuve, with 903 votes.
The six other names on the ballot ranged in vote totals from Cory Delves’ 821 to Ted Bosman’s 463 with Heidi Tims, incumbent Wendy Mahoney, Katie Bowell and Donelly Clement in between them.
According to SD28’s Chief Election Officer Jennifer Woollends, these numbers are preliminary. The official totals will be disclosed no later than 4 p.m. Oct. 19, pending final tabulations.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: rebecca.dyok@quesnelobserver.com
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