Christine Billings has a new face joining her to represent Ward 4 at Guelph city council.
Linda Busuttil, a four-term Upper Grand District School Board trustee and former chairperson of the school board, will make her way over to council chambers as a new city councillor.
Billings and Busuttil took the top two spots in a seven-person race. Brendan Clark climbed up the ranks after a sixth place finish in 2018, but fell about 300 votes short of a council seat.
"I've won elections in the past, but winning a municipal city council seat makes me feel really good for all the families and the individuals who supported me and encouraged me to run," Busuttil told GuelphToday after the results were known.
Of note, Busuttil pointed out her grassroots work, and a message she got from an individual from a not-for-profit housing.
"(They) were organizing a people's parade, and they went and voted for the very first time. A group of people in not-for-profit housing and poverty, and to me, that's what I'm here to do. I really want to engage people in the process, and understand how to connect. It just really made my day."
Billings goes into her third consecutive term representing Ward 4, after winning elections in both 2014 and 2018.
Mike Salisbury, elected to Ward 4 with Billings in both of the last two elections, did not seek re-election this time around.
Billings could not be reached for comment in time for publishing.
When asked about being able to work with Billings for the residents of Ward 4, Busuttil said from her time as a trustee, she learned not everyone is going to agree, but her approach has always been to find common ground, and is looking forward to building understanding and having space for dialogue.
- Christine Billings: 2,202
- Linda Busuttil: 1,685
- Brendan Clark: 1,414
- Adrian Salvatore: 991
- Hitesh Jagad: 708
- Justin Van Daele: 221
- Anne-Marie Blackadar: 109
