The Mayor of Merritt says he’s looking forward to working with new councillor, Yvette Baxter, who won this weekend’s by-election with nearly 64 per cent of the vote.
Baxter picked up 229 of the 360 votes that were cast, to beat Peter Coghill (75 votes), Norma-Jean Littleton (30 votes), and MJ Phillips (26 votes).
“Yvette, Councillor Baxter I might as well get used to saying it, Councillor Baxter was born here, raised here, and she is a teacher and she’s got children and she wants the best for her community,” Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz told Radio NL, when asked about his new councillor.
“She knew the OCP and she knew the five-year plan and she impressed a lot of people with her knowledge, and I’m not surprised to see her take the seat.”
Baxter, who finished 10th in the 2022 general election, will fill the seat that was vacated after the death of Councillor Claire Newman in a hit and run crash near Valemount last July.
“When you see the empty seat, its always the reflection of Claire not being there any longer and the whole circumstances around it. It does leave a hole there, not that anybody will ever replace Claire or her knowledge, she had 15 years of service,” Goetz added, noting he’s glad to have a full council once again.
“It was very, very rare that we ever had any issues being shy a member, but its an empty seat that we need filled. The community is, I think, quite happy to see that seat filled.”
Baxter will serve on Merritt council until the next municipal election which is scheduled for Nov. 2026.