Sean Devine will fill Knoxdale-Merivale's seat at the council table
CBC News | Posted: October 25, 2022 1:47 AM | Last Updated: October 25, 2022
Ward 9 was busy this election with 7 candidates on the ballot
Sean Devine earned the most votes to become councillor of Knoxdale-Merivale on Monday night.
After serving three terms on council — the last as chair of the board of health — outgoing councillor Keith Egli decided it was time to move on.
Seven people ran to replace him: communications strategist Joseph Ben-Ami; real estate agent James Dean, who finished second in 2018; Devine, a playwright and community activist; graphics worker Myles Egli (yes, he's Keith's brother); Peter Anthony Weber; bike mechanic Peter Westaway; and business advocate Michael Wood.
Devine's priorities included better roads, sewers and transit, and strengthening the electrical grid.
Following his win Monday night, Devine said he hopes to be an "honest communicator" for his constituents.
"If there could be some kind of accountability and transparency that I could help provide, so that hopefully residents across the city, especially in my ward, can feel that they can trust me ... that would be an accomplishment unto itself," he said.
Devine said he's "grown tired of how dysfunctional council was" over the last term.
"I know that I can be part of a different kind of culture at council," he said. "I really just want us all to start in a spirit of collegiality and collaboration."
Dean did not respond to CBC's survey of council candidates, but his website listed priorities included fixing roads, tackling debt, keeping taxes low, and getting LRT back on track.
Myles Egli's priorities included pausing Stage 3 of the LRT expansion until he sees how Stage 2 goes, affordable housing, and a formal emergency preparedness plan.
Ward at a glance
Projected population 2022: 42,940
Projected population 2026: 43,303