Charlotte Varcoe
JOHN Shelton has been named as the newest councillor for Wattle Range Council.
Announced earlier today, Mr Shelton received first preference votes totalling 911.
According to the Electoral Commission South Australia, there were 4331 enrolled voters with 1552 envelopes returned.
Out of the envelopes returned, 1510 were accepted with 42 rejected.
Voter participation was 35.83 per cent with 1490 formal votes and 20 informal votes.
Other candidates included Joel McClure, Penelope Henley and Shaun Teliana.
Ms Henley came off second best to Mr Shelton after receiving 293 votes.
Mr McClure received 174 while Mr Teliana received 112.
The supplementary election came following the shock resignation of Moira Neagle who pulled the plug on her time as councillor last year.
According to statistics provided by the commission, the most amount of voting envelopes was returned on February 28 with 145 officially noted.
The least amount of envelopes returned was on February 21 with none recorded.
Previously speaking with The South Eastern Times, Mr Shelton said the future of the Millicent Swimming Lake and Saleyards was of his top priority as well as listening to residents and ratepayers.
“In the past I have always been really happy with Wattle Range Council and just over the last year or two there seems to have been some policy decisions which have not sat well with me,” Mr Shelton said.
“I have picked up others are feeling similar and I thought there was no point in running around complaining and moaning, so I put my hat in the ring so I could see what was really going on.”
He said one of the things he was most concerned about was the future of the Millicent Swimming Lake.
“When there was talk about it possibly not being open for summer it was one of the things that got me interested as well as what was happening with the saleyards,” he said.
“I am still interested in what the potential future could be for other activities that occur with the saleyards besides just the sale of livestock.”
Mr Shelton said he was also interested in tourism and what the potential was there.
“I am just not convinced at the moment we are putting as much energy and effort into tourism through the visitor and information centre as we could,” he said.
“I am interested in that and finding out more about what we are doing to attract tourism.
“I also think we could have better consultation and listen to what residents and ratepayers’ views are.”
Mr Shelton said he understood it was difficult to get a “true representative” democracy yet said listening more to people and businesses could assist in the future needs a directions council could go.
