He had previously spent 15 years on council, 11 as deputy mayor and four as mayor. A move out of the province led to his absence from the 2013 ballot.
“I guess when you’ve got that in your blood, as it gets closer, you get more excited about it,” he said following his mayoral election victory on Tuesday night.
The mood was strictly celebratory in the moments after the results were made official, but Bishop said he likes the variety the new council features, with three women, three men, and a “good mix of youth and older people with experience.”
His victory came by more than 200 votes, which Bishop believes is due to the desire for change in the community. He said that was the recurring message he received from those he spoke with on the campaign trail.
“They never gave any real reason, just that they wanted a wholesale change,” he said. “I guess that’s what they voted.”
The new council will be sworn in on Oct. 2, which will then be followed by a regular meeting.
The final tally
Gary Bishop 822
Otto Goulding 621
*Spoiled 17