According to the Town of Blackfalds’ unofficial election results, Melodie Stol has been re-elected as mayor of Blackfalds for a third term.
“I’m so excited,” said Stol. She added she is happy to be in such a fast-growing community and one of the first priorities for herself and council will be to manage that growth effectively. Making sure that growth benefits everyone from new areas, to old areas, to business owners, to families is important to Stol, she said.
As for Blackfalds Town council, which was elected by acclamation, Stol said there will be a teambuilding phase where she and the rest of council learn how they will best work together. She added that council will be working with municipal consultant George Cuff to orientate the new members and shortly after will have the municipal convention followed by budget season, all of which are prime opportunities for the new council to find out how they will mesh together.
“You get to know each other pretty quick.”
Stol thanked her opponent Wayne Tutty for offering the people of Blackfalds a choice for mayor.
She said that she has worked with Tutty both as mayor and councilor with past councils and added he is just as passionate about the future of Blackfalds as she, although the two of them have different methods of achieving what is best.
“Wayne is a good man and he does love Blackfalds just as much as I do. I don’t think it’s ever a question that, who wants the best for Blackfalds.”
Stol added that she is thankful the people of Blackfalds have once again chosen her style as mayor as the one they want representing their community.
Tutty also commented on the time he and Stol had spent on council together and complimented Stol on her capabilities as mayor.
“She is very capable person and she is quite knowledgeable about what it takes to be a mayor.”
While he accepts the results of the election as part of the democratic process, Tutty said that he was a bit of an underdog in the mayoral race. He said he had had a fairly lengthy hiatus from council which put him at a disadvantage when running against an incumbent.
“It’s a tough position to be in.”
Tutty also expressed his confidence in the capability of Blackfalds’ new council, saying that he believes there is a good mix of experience and new blood with incumbents Ray Olfert, Richard Poole, Will Taylor and Dean Wigmore returning to Council Chambers along with newcomers Nicole Blauel and Lisa Wyndham.
As can be expected, Stol said that elections are very stressful times and it is a relief to know the results, even if they are unofficial at this time. Stol also said she was happy Blackfalds had gone with electronic voting which made the wait times for results shorter.
“Just to know and move on, that relief was so nice to have,” said Stol.
Stol added that she found running for re-election to be a humbling and reflective experience.
“When you are mayor, you’re used to being in charge,” said Stol. “And the fact of the matter is we never are really in charge.
“It’s the people in our communities who are in charge. During election season you turn over all that power and energy into your community.”