Legal voters chose to add two new candidates to its council Monday night.
In addition to returning Ken Baril, Albert St. Jean and Phil Hughes, voters added Lisa Magera and Trina Jones to the council table.
Incumbent councillors Gena Bennett and Cassandra Oullette both failed to receive enough votes to get re-elected.
Baril was the top vote getter with 238 votes, while current mayor St. Jean was hot on his heels with 236 votes. Hughes netted 191 ballots, while newcomer Magera pulled in 182 and Jones took 130 votes.
Bennett was not far behind with 116 votes and Oullette managed to net 105 votes.
Legal selects its mayor from within council. The vote for that position will go ahead at the new council’s first meeting on Monday.
St. Jean said he would put his name forward again to serve as mayor and looks forward to the next three years.
“I think we have a pretty diverse council and it is going to be a good three years,” he said. “We have a really good mix.”
He said standing in doorways across the community during the campaign, residents told him they were ultimately happy with the way council had been running and he hopes to keep the town headed in the same direction.
“Everybody has been pretty happy with what we have been doing.”
St. Jean said he did hear many residents would like to see more activities and amenities for youth in Legal and he hopes to work on that issue.
Jones, a web developer, has served on several recreation and school committees. She said she anticipated election night would roll out the way it did.
“I expected a close race and that’s pretty much what we got.”
Jones said she too wants more for local young people.
“I really want to work on youth programs.”
Jones said she is also concerned about the state of the town’s business community and she wants to see the town do as much as it can to support a vibrant and growing business sector.
Over the past few years she believes some have struggled.
“I felt they have suffered.”
Magera, chair for the Fête au Village for the last six years, said she was thrilled when the results were reported.
“I am really looking forward to getting to work.”
St. Jean said beyond issues affecting youth, he wants to make sure the town continues to maintain its infrastructure in a responsible way.
“Legal has always been a community with good amenities in terms of our roads and I want them to stay that way.”
