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Municipal election 2006 Region chair: Carr runs over Marshall's hopes LISA TALLYN Staff Writer The anticipated tight race for the regional chairman's seat between Gary Carr and recently retired Halton CAO Brent Marshall didn't materialize Monday night. Carr, a former Halton MP, garnered the lead early in the municipal election and by night's end he had secured 45,693 votes while Marshall, of Acton, took home 32,297. Brian Burton received 16,136 votes and Robert Plaschka, 3,153. The win for Carr puts him back into the political arena after a brief hiatus and holding onto his title as `Landslide Carr'-- a nickname he earned when he won by 108 votes in his first provincial election. Carr, who lost his seat to Garth Turner earlier this year-- could not be reached for comment. Marshall took the majority of Halton Hills votes and received support from retiring chair Joyce Savoline, but it wasn't enough to beat Carr. "We did really well in Halton Hills, a little bit disappointed perhaps in Milton," said Marshall. Overall, however, Marshall said he wasn't disappointed. "I'm very proud of what we did as a team and very proud of the entire campaign," he said. "We went into this thing believing we had a really good opportunity here," he added. So, what went wrong? "It's never one thing, it's usually a combination of things," he said. "We had to combat the recognition issue with Gary Carr." Asked if his late entry into the race-- he entered the last day possible-- impacted the out- Mayor: Bonnette earns second term with ease Challenger Heaton, a former Halton Hills councillor, was not disappointed with his results. "Thanks to the voters for giving us Incumbent Mayor Rick Bonnette a mayor's race and helping to turn out cruised to an easy victory in Monday's municipal election, beating challenger the vote," said Heaton. As a challenger for the mayor's job, Robert Heaton by nearly a 7:1 margin. Heaton said he was glad to be able to Bonnette grabbed the lead right from the start, and by the time the give the voters a chance for an all-cannight was over, he had 9,873 votes didate's meeting. "I don't have all the developers compared to Heaton's 1,427. funding my campaign and paying for Bonnette spent the evening in his office at the Civic Centre watching all my signs and all my literature," said election results with his wife Josey, Heaton, when asked why he did so then later celebrated his victory with poorly in the race. Bonnette said he planned to sleep in his many supporters Tuesday and spend at Mill Street Crossing the day taking down in Acton. HALTON HILLS MAYOR his lawn signs. Despite hearing "Then I'll be conpositive feedback on Rick Bonnette..........10,442 tacting the newer his chances of win- Robert Heaton...........1,429 elected councillors, ning from councillors assuming there are who had spoken with going to be a couple, many members of the public during and next week I hope to be talking to their campaigns, Bonnette was not the councillors again to see what comover-confident going into the race. "You never know until the votes mittees they want to be on." Bonnette said there were no real come in," said Bonnette, an Acton resiissues that emerged during the camdent. "We ran a campaign, we put up signs, we door-knocked, we adver- paign, "and even though there were a tised, we did everything you're sup- few in the community that were trying posed to do in a campaign to get our to fabricate an issue it never panned out in the end." message out." When asked about what he hopes Bonnette thanked council members to accomplish over the next four years who he said gave him "a lot of help." "I have to thank a lot of the public Bonnette said, "the burning issue will that came forward. I had people volun- be the growth." "This is where the Town of Halton teering, I had people wanting to put signs up. That never happened before. Hills will be defining itself in the next I didn't have that same response three 3-4 years when we sit down with the years ago that I had this time," said province wanting us to increase in size." Bonnette. LISA TALLYN Staff Writer Brent Marshall shakes hands with supporter Peter Pomeroy following Marshall's loss to Gary Carr Monday. Photo by Ted Brown come, Marshall said, "there's nothing to suggest we suffered from that." Plaschka, who placed last in the race, wasn't letting that get him down after the polls closed. "I'm happy with the number of votes I got," he said. " It was a great learning experience." At press time, Burton couldn't be reached for comment. Carr is a former professional hockey player and provincial Progressive Conservative who joined the Liberals to run at the federal level. --With files from Melanie Cummings, special REGION CHAIR Gary Carr..................45,693 (2,111 local) Brent Marshall......................32,297 (6,855) Brian Burton.........................16,136 (1,639) Robert Plaschka.........................3,153 (330) Ward 2: Rookie no match for vets lar issue that returned him to council other than "being there at a time of need (by constituents), and I pride myself on that." "It's the dialogue with the voters that makes Incumbents Bryan Lewis and Joan Robson you or breaks you," agreed Robson. "In my returned to council in Ward 2, both for a third case with Sheridan Nurseries (a development term. The duo defeated chalissue in Glen Williams) and in lenger, Jason Hilts, a 21-yearNorval (traffic concerns), WARD 2 old student. there was continual dialogue "I'm pleased at the confi(with the constituents) and I Bryan Lewis..............1,582 dence that people have shown think it's the same with all the Joan Robson.............1,482 me," said Lewis, who topped issues." Jason Hilts....................629 the ward polls with 1,582. Growth also was a top issue "I'm delighted the voters in Ward 2, which could potenhave placed the confidence in me that they tially see more farmlands taken over by develhave, and I'll work very hard to meeting their opment. expectations," said Robson, who garnered "The land speculators are circulating over 1,459 votes. the countryside daily... and we (the council) Hilts, who did not return phone calls to this have to offer clear directions as to the growth newspaper, trailed with 629 votes. Lewis com- patterns," said Lewis, so that farmers can do mended Hilts on his campaign, adding this their own long-term planning. community needs more young people like him Other future ward issues will also be rural getting involved in elections. road improvements and ensuring "prestige" While Lewis could not point to one particu- industrial is built in the 401 Corridor. CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer HCDSB Trustee: Challenger ousts McCauley There will be a new face in the role tives that I've outlined in my platform." of trustee for this area on the Halton An active parent member in elemenCatholic District School Board for the tary and secondary school councils for first time in over a quarter-century as 18 years, Palmieri, a mother of four, Rosanna Palmieri unseated Irene would also like to see some new school McCauley for the projects slated for position in Monday's Halton Hills that are HCDSB TRUSTEE municipal election. currently in prelimiPalmieri, a 45-year- Rosanna Palmieri.......1,243 nary stages through to old recently retired Irene McCauley............. 913 their completion. manufacturing busiMcCauley, 63, ness owner, received couldn't be reached 1,238 votes to McCauley's 918, win- for comment. She has been in the ning in her first run at politics. rehab unit at Credit Valley Hospital for "Irene served us well here for the a month following a kidney transplant past 26 years and I'd like to wish her and mild heart attack in July, but had the best in whatever she moves on to been given doctor's clearance to run doing," said Palmieri. "I'm really look- for another term as trustee. ing forward to doing this job well and to introduce some new ideas and initiaMore coverage on page 5