The District of Wells has a new Mayor and he has a familiar face.
Jay Vermette, who was also Mayor for two terms between 2005 and 2011, picked up roughly 50 percent of the votes in a by-election that wrapped up on Saturday.
Vermette had 56 votes.
Former Councillor Richard Wright was next with 32 votes and Jillian Merrick, a Prince George City Councillor who lives in Wells on the weekends, received 25 votes.
Vermette says the key issue for him in this short 130 day term will be to try and heal what he calls a bit of a divide in the community….
“Wells has been a community that has always been together and when certain issues have come up in the past, like the taking over of the school or the closing of the school, everybody banded together and made that happen and now there seems to be a them and us on some issues, and it’s not healthy for the community.”
Vermette takes over from Robin Sharpe who resigned back in February.
Sharpe, in his resignation letter, said “he no longer wants to be part of such a negative situation” adding that over the past year the negative attitude of a certain portion of the community has poisoned the workings of Council.
He went on to say that he is proud of what has been accomplished under his direction, but that he no longer feels compelled to work for the community.
Sharpe even went as far as saying that he feels ill every time he returns to town and sick to his stomach to attend Council meetings.
In addition to that, Councillor Lorraine Kozar has also resigned.
Her resignation letter simply cites personal reasons.
There was also a race for a vacant seat on Council that was won by Diane Andreesen.
She had 69 votes.
Mark Dawson was next with 27 and Glenda Rummel had 17.
Wells residents will be going back to the polls, along with everyone else in B.C. for a general election in October.
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