This isn’t the first time Blacks Harbour’s mayor-elect will have sat around a council table.
John Craig won the 2021 municipal election against former councillor Heather Chase with 67 per cent of the 392 ballots cast.
Craig previously served as mayor of Saint Andrews before moving to Blacks Harbour to start a business around six years ago.
The mayor-elect believes he won because residents were frustrated with a lack of transparency from the outgoing council.
“It was abundantly clear for me right from the beginning that people wanted change, and they wanted a new direction,” Craig said.
He added that voters he spoke to also seemed to want more communication, accountability, and transparency.
The incoming council will feature a number of fresh faces after three incumbents lost their bid for office.
Ashley Ritchie, Amber Libbey, Gerald Welles, and Jordan Thompson will all represent Blacks Harbour at the council table.
Adam Hatt will round out the group. Hatt previously served as a councillor but resigned before his term was up.
Three incumbents – Mike Chase, Natalie Harris, and David Mahar – were seeking re-election but lost.
Craig believes voters were looking for a change, and they spoke loud and clear.
“I think people just got to the point where they wanted new blood and the village needs help to move forward,” he said.
“We need new housing opportunities, new business opportunities. I have some experience in that, and I bring to the table 11 years in experience.”
