By ROY WOOD

The first-time candidate who finished atop the race for town council in Osoyoos attributed his success to “door-knocking, plain and simple.”

Councillor-elect Brian Harvey said in an interview this evening that he knocked on doors in every neighbourhood and had a lot of people say: “You’re the only one who’s knocked on my door. I’m going to vote for you.”

He said as newcomer to council, his priority will be to “learn where the levers are” so the council can move ahead with its agenda.

The other new face at the table will be Myers Bennett, who finished fourth in the race for four seats. He said in an interview his priority will be to get to know the other councillors and the staff. “It’s a team thing, you know.”

Bennett is well known in the community as a member of the chamber of commerce and Rotary and other community involvement.

Harvey finished with 1,004 votes. Incumbents JC Rhodes and Jim King came next, with 1,000 and 965 votes respectively. Bennett captured 686 votes.

The other candidates were: Jane Long 523; Shelley McIntyre 457; Sherani Theophilus 390; Kenny Music 349; and Si Murseli 329.

Mayor Sue McKortoff breezed to re-election, swamping comic-relief candidate Doug Pederson 1,379 to 162.

In the run for two school board seats in Osoyoos, incumbent Casey Brouwer was returned with 1,015 votes.

Brenda Dorosz* finished at the top of the poll with 1,274 votes. She is well known in town, having led the fight to save Osoyoos Secondary School from closure in 2016.

Penny Dupperon received 730 votes for school trustee.