Ralph Leriger is Westlock’s new mayor.
Leriger was elected to the position on Oct. 21 with 1,140 votes, far outpacing incumbent councillors Robin Brett (414 votes) and Marjorie Sterling Miller (158). Leriger’s vote total represented 66.6 per cent of the 1,712 votes cast for mayor.
“I’m humbled by the support I received from the community,” Leriger said a few days after winning the vote.
He said he was very happy with the voter turnout, which saw 1,755 people cast a ballot either on Oct. 21 or during one of the advanced polls.
Leading up to election day, Leriger said he was “cautiously optimistic” he would do well, given what he had experienced while out campaigning door to door.
“Door knocking gives you your indication of how you’re being received,” he said.
With the first meeting of the new council on Oct. 28, Leriger said he doesn’t have a set agenda he wants to get cracking on right off the bat.
“I’m a guy who thinks about things before I act.”
Instead, he plans to get to know his new council before working on town business.
“We need to get our feet wet first and get sworn in and get our organizations planned, our committees planned and then get back to work,” Leriger said.
He said he feels Westlock will be served by a “very strong” council, combining new ideas from the three new councillors with the experience provided by the three incumbents who were reelected. It’s a combination he feels will “bode well” for the future.
Although he doesn’t have an agenda he wants to enact right away, Leriger did say there were things he heard residents are eager to see movement on.
The two largest issues were fiscal responsibility at the town hall and economic development.
There was a lot of front-door talk about the town’s financial situation and the municipal budget, Leriger said, which is something he wants to help people understand as time passes.
Besides the big issues, he said many people brought up issues specific to their own little corner of town, such as drivers speeding along their streets, bumpy roads or damaged sidewalks.
Leriger admitted his campaign required some voter reeducation.
“I was up against people who didn’t remember who I was and the fact I am a born and raised Westlock guy,” he said.
With the campaign over and all the votes having been cast, Leriger said he holds in high esteem every person who decided to run the election.
“First and foremost we need to thank the people who put their names on the nomination papers,” he said. “Civic responsibility is important, and just putting their name forward and putting themselves out there shows they care a great deal about their community.”
He also said he wants to thank the previous council for setting the stage for the town’s future, and especially singled out outgoing mayor Bruce Lennon and his many years of service to the community.
“I hope he allows me the benefit and wisdom of his experience as I try and make my mark,” Leriger said.
