The only candidate in the running, the widow of ex-mayor Alain Dufresne, France Fortier, was elected by acclamation at the end of the day on Friday at the town hall of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval.
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Candidates interested in the town hall had until 4:30 p.m. today to show up. No one else showed up at City Hall to drop off their nomination papers.
Ms. Fortier was therefore officially elected without opposition. She succeeds her late husband, Alain Dufresne, who won the election on November 7th. Mr. Dufresne was swept away by a devastating cancer in January.
Ms. Fortier, a 62-year-old businesswoman, joins her daughter Michèle on the municipal council. The latter, elected last November 7 in District 6, is currently acting as deputy mayor since the death of her father.
“I’m really happy!”, She reacted hotly, a few minutes after receiving the long-awaited phone call from the president of the election.
“It is sure that I was elected by acclamation but it is correct. I am very happy and I will do everything in my power to help the citizens. I will be there to listen to them, not just to “hear” them, and try to find solutions to all requests.” Ms. Fortier is aiming for a tax freeze in 2023, without however making a firm commitment.
Thomassin “passes his turn”
Defeated by Alain Dufresne in the last ballot, former mayor Carl Thomassin had seriously thought about the possibility of running again but he chose to pass his turn. The deleterious climate on social networks and the attacks he suffered during the previous campaign left him with a bitter taste, he told the Newspaper.
“The population of Sainte-Brigitte spoke on November 7 and the choice was quite clear. Of the 6 councilors ready to work with me, only one was elected. I understand that the people of Sainte-Brigitte want change and I leave the field open to Ms. Fortier,” he said.
Election in District 4
The elected officials of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval will however have to wait before knowing the identity of their new colleague from district 4 at the council table. Vacant since the resignation of Carl Tremblay, the position is coveted by two citizens. Simon-Pierre Allen will face Mathieu Thomassin (defeated in District 6 in the last elections) on April 10.
Another by-election will also be necessary to fill the position of councilor Cédric Métayer, who recently resigned, citing health reasons. The date is not yet known.