YORKTON - The latest edition of Yorkton Council was chosen by voters Wednesday.
The four incumbent candidates were all returned with two new faces filling the chairs of Ken Chyz and Chris Wyatt who chose not to seek another term.
The new council has newcomers Stephanie Ortynsky and Greg Litvanyi joining veterans Dustin Brears, Randy Goulden, Quinn Haider and Darcy Zaharia.
Brears would lead the polls with 2,656 votes, with Ortynsky second with 2,629, followed by Haider 2,590, Goulden 2,229, Litvanyi 2,080 and Zaharia 2,078.
Just missing a spot polling seventh was Lauretta Ritchie-McInnes, followed by Todd Kulscar, Gurjit Dhaliwal, and Ron Irvine.
Brears, who was just into the top six four years ago, said his surge to the top this time was not expected.
“It’s unbelievable. Truly I’m absolutely shocked,” he said.
So why the bump?
Brears said he believes it was the work he carried out over the last four years which paid off at the polls.
Ortynsky called her strong support “surreal” given it was “my first time running.
“I wasn’t sure how it would play out.”
Litvanyi was pleased with his support, but is ready for the challenge ahead.
“I’m looking forward to getting sworn in,” he said Wednesday night.
Now that the vote is over Ortynsky said she looks forward to getting to work, and for her the initial first step is to push for a new strategic plan for the city. To do that it will take consultation with various groups within the city in order to create a document that builds for the entire community.
Litvanyi said obviously there are different ways of thinking among those elected, and he looks forward to finding ways to make the collective effective.
To help facilitate a sense of consensus is to bring more of what they do into open council where the public can see what is happening and have follow-up input.
The council will be sworn in Friday.
