Just one newcomer will be on Ajax Council when the new term begins next month while Whitby citizens gave us a new mayor and three fresh faces on local council.

The races for the Ajax Council seats were all won comfortably, with the exception of the one upset, where newcomer Nancy Henry took incumbent Ashmeed Khan’s seat by just 33 votes.

Mayor Shaun Collier, Regional Councillors Marilyn Crawford, Sterling Lee and Joanne Dies, as well as Local Councillors Rob Tyler-Morin and Lisa Bower all won comfortably.

With Don Mitchell stepping down as Whitby Mayor, the results were far more unpredictable in Durham’s traditional capital. Political veteran Elizabeth Roy stepped to up take Mitchell’s seat, fending off a stiff challenge from Deidre Newman, while other newcomers include Matt Cardwell in his third try in Ward 2, Niki Lundquist, who upset incumbent JoAnne Drumm in Ward 3 and new councillor Victoria Bozinovski, who defeated John Rinella by 265 votes. Steve Lee was acclaimed in the Ward 1 seat.

Meanwhile all four regional councillors were returned: Rhonda Mulcahey, Chris Leahy, Steve Yamada and Maleeha Shahid.

Voter turnout in Whitby was an abysmal 23.35 per cent.

Trustees elected included Christine Thatcher and Michelle Arsenault in Whitby and Donna Edwards and Kelley Miller in Ajax for the Durham District School Board; and Janelle Emanuel and Robert De Souza in Whitby and Monique Forster (returning) and Marisa Hall in Ajax for the Catholic Board.