Brian Bigger elected mayor of Greater Sudbury

The City of GreaterSudburyis reporting a 50.7 per cent voter turnout. Residents have electedthe former auditor general, who took a leave of absence to run for municipal politics, as its new mayor.

According to the City of Greater Sudbury, 54 out of 55 polls in the city were reporting results.

• Brian Bigger 27,303 votes (46.32 per cent)
• Dan Melanson 11,345 votes (19.25 per cent)
• John Rodriguez 10,243votes (17.38per cent)
• Ron Dupuis 5,176votes (8.78per cent)
• Jeff Huska 2,584votes (4.38per cent)
• Richard Majkot 1,412votes (2.4per cent)
• Jeanne Brohart 494votes (0.84 per cent)
• Jean-Raymond Audet 256votes (0.43 per cent)
• David Popescu 67votes (0.11 per cent)
• Ed Pokonzie 65votes (0.11 per cent)

Bigger got nearly half of all the votes cast for mayor, and topped his nearest competitor by 16,000 votes.

Lets keep this positive and forward looking momentum beyond today, he told a crowd of supporters Monday evening.

Lets take control of our destiny. He said the election race wasnt a sprint, but rather a marathon. Running is all about delivering your personal best, he said.

This ones going to be hard to beat. At the beginning, you cant visualize all the steps its going to take to get past the finish line. In fact in training, everything is based on trust.

Dan Melanson, who four years ago played a key role in getting Marianne Matichuk elected, came in second.

What happened was Mr. Bigger was able to cash in on his time as Auditor General, he said.

Only two incumbent councillors were re-elected: Evelyn Dutrisac in Ward 4 and Joscelyne Landry-Altmann in Ward 12. Al Sizer took his seat in Ward 8. He has been councillor in that ward following a by-election in June, after former councillor Fabio Belli suddenly died earlier this year.

One election promise Bigger did make was to freeze taxes for his first year in office.

Dutrisac said the idea is worth considering.

What implications it will have on the services that we offer and if we can have that tax freeze, she said.

Bigger said hes looking forward to working with the new councillors. "[A] brand new council. It looks very encouraging, he said. I think many of the councillors I've heard talking about the same things."

Fern Cormier is one of the new faces, as he was elected for Ward 10, after losing by only five votes in the 2010 election. Ill be honest with you, theres a little bit of vindication in this, he said.

Voters also had their say on three referendum questions regarding store hours in Greater Sudbury but the city said it is not binding. Officials said that while there was a 50 percent turnout in general, not enough voted on the referendum questions to make it stick.

The first question dealt with businesses being able to choose whether or not they want to open on Boxing Day, and voters responded 61.17 per cent in favour.

The second question asked if voters were in favour of allowing businesses to open on the Civic Holiday in August, and voters were 62.42 per cent in favor.

The third question asked if voters were in favour of allowing businesses to choose their own hours, and voted 75.52 per cent in favour.

Ward 1:

• Mark Signoretti 1,780votes (39.67per cent)
• Chris Spry 1,125votes (25.07per cent)
• Matt Alexander 589votes (13.13per cent)
• Paul Soucie 274votes (6.11 per cent)
• Tom Trainor 261votes (5.82per cent)
• Denis Ferron 232(5.17per cent)
• Mathieu Labont 167votes (3.72per cent)
• Sidney Shaprio 59votes (1.31per cent)

Ward 2:

• Michael Vagnini 2,752votes (49.36 per cent)
• Jacques Barbeau 2,130votes (39.28per cent)
• Daniel Xilon 398 votes (7.14 per cent)
• Chad Odnokon 152 votes (2.73 per cent)
• Joseph Palmateer 83votes (1.49per cent)

Ward 3:

• Gerry Montpellier 1884 votes (42.14 per cent)
• Marcel Montpellier 1,311 votes (29.32 per cent)
• Matt Belanger 960 votes (21.47 per cent)
• Jesse Gaudet 316 votes (7.07 per cent)

Ward 4:

• Evelyn Dutrisac 2,112votes (48.1per cent)
• Francois Couture 1,713votes (39.01per cent)
• Paul Lefebvre 566votes (12.89per cent)

Ward 5:

• Robert Kirwan 1,467(35.78per cent)
• John Lundrigan 969votes (23.63per cent)
• Richard Larcher 891 votes (21.73per cent)
• Joseph Berthlot 483votes (11.78per cent)
• Kent MacNeill 290votes (7.07 per cent)

Ward 6:

• Ren Lapierre 1,933votes (37.56per cent)
• Andre Rivest 1,663votes (32.31 per cent)
• Fernand Bidal 865 votes (16.81per cent)
• Kevin Brault 686 votes (13.33per cent)

Ward 7:

• Mike Jakubo 2,486votes (50.9per cent)
• Dave Kilgour 1,525votes (31.22per cent)
• Robin Auger 414votes (8.48per cent)
• Gordon Drysdale 371votes (7.6per cent)
• Walter Prus 88votes (1.8per cent)

Ward 8:

• Al Sizer 1,973votes (45.04per cent)
• Stefano Presenza 1,042 votes (23.78 per cent)
• Michael Cullen 1,013 votes (23.12per cent)
• Gerry Perras 219votes (5.0per cent)
• Kerry Latham 134 votes (3.06 per cent)

Ward 9:

• Deb McIntosh 2,000votes (35.28per cent)
• Les Lisk 1,037 votes (18.29per cent)
• Wyman MacKinnon 691votes (12.19per cent)
• Lin Gibson 679 votes (11.98per cent)
• Paul Stopciati 657 votes (11.59per cent)
• Aaron Beaudry 353 votes (6.23 per cent)
• Will Thomson 252votes (4.45per cent)

Ward 10:

• Fern Cormier 2,085votes (38.84per cent)
• John Antonioni 1,200votes (22.53 per cent)
• Hannu Piironen 1,042votes (19.41per cent)
• Mila Wong 794votes (14.79per cent)
• Steve Ripley 247votes (4.6per cent)

Ward 11:

• Lynne Reynolds 2,194votes (40.96per cent)
• Terry Kett 1,700 votes (31.73per cent)
• Mike Bleskie 851votes (15.89per cent)
• Chris Nerpin 356 votes (6.65 per cent)
• Vincent Lacroix 256 (4.78 per cent)

Ward 12:

• Joscelyne Landry-Altmann 2,179votes (52.98per cent)
• Tay Butt 1,136votes (27.62 per cent)
• Shawn Ouimet 496 votes (12.06per cent)
• Robert McCarthy 302 votes (7.34per cent)