Gord Wauchope elected mayor of Innisfil

Gord Wauchope got political retribution after beating incumbent Barb Baguley in Innisfil’s mayoral race Monday night.

Baguley beat Wauchope in 2010 by 700 votes. But the veteran municipal politician known for his support of community and charity groups overcame Baguley by 800 votes in a close race.

Soon after losing in 2010 the former deputy mayor admitted he was upset with his loss and said he wouldn’t run again.

“I was devastated last time. I was shocked and I was hurt,” he said. “But last night I sat down and thought of the council I wanted and I got that council — I couldn’t be happier. What a great team.”

Wauchope, who founded Summerfest’s IceCorp and his president of the Celtic Festival and Celebrate Lake Simcoe, changed his mind soon after the 2010 race and started preparing for another shot at the mayor’s seat.

“I just kept doing the things I liked to do — working with the community groups,” he said. “And people kept asking me to run again.”

Wauchope’s campaign focused on improving Innisfil’s roads, bringing a transit service to town and attracting jobs.

During an all candidates’ meeting the former deputy mayor said he supports incentives for employers such as reducing development charges.

Challenger Dean Bracko came a distant third and Derek Majewski who dropped out still got some votes.

Longtime Cookstown-area councillor Lynn Dollin was able to hold off incumbent Dan Davidson to become Innisfil’s deputy mayor.

“I was never confident I would win. I felt I had to campaign every minute to make it,” she said. “We have a lot of new faces on council. I’m looking forward to the next four years.”

Dollin says she wants to increase citizen participation in municipal politics by life-streaming council meetings on the Internet.

She is chairperson of the Small Urban Municipalities and a member of the executive committee of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). Dollin says she believes in using the strength of municipalities as a whole to lobby the provincial government.

In Ward 1, incumbent Doug Lougheed handily beat challenger Mariuz Karczewski.

Richard Simpson was acclaimed in Ward 2.

In Ward 3, newcomer Donna Orsatti beat incumbent two-term councillor Ken Simpson.

Ward 4 went to former Markham councillor Stan Daurio, who beat Christian Pitcher.

Ward 5 saw incumbent Bill Loughead beat challengers Rose D’Angleo and Trevor Jones.

Ward 6, which had three newcomers after Maria Baier did not run again, saw Carolyn Payne beat Lynn Chepurnyj and Volker Richter.

Ward 7 had the tightest race, with Rob Nicol, who ran against Dollin in 2010, eking out a victory against three other candidates.