Barkhouse declines recount in District 3
Posted Oct 31, 2012 07:00:04 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The extended election race for District 3 in Halifax Regional Municipality has ended.
Jackie Barkhouse won’t ask for a recount, meaning Bill Karsten will be the councillor for the district.
Both were incumbents prior to the boundary re-distribution.
Barkhouse was first elected to Halifax Regional Council in a December 2007 by-election in District 8 [Woodside-Eastern Passage]. She was re-elected in October 2008.
Barkhouse said she leaves council a little frustrated that more didn’t change around city hall and in the municipality during her term.
“But I’m really proud of my four and a half years here and I will always probably be happy with most of the decisions I made while I was here,” said Barkhouse.
“I’ve appreciated the opportunity very much, but I think it’s a system that needs to change and very difficult for one councillor or a few councillors to change it.”
“When I was elected…I naively hoped I could make Halifax a better place to live, work and play.”
Bill Karsten was a bit surprised by the decision. The initial count on election night showed Barkhouse had won by a handful of votes.
He said he and Barkhouse sat down will returning officer Cathy Mallet and went over the tables from the election, which showed he had won.
“Doing a thorough check of all of the tables and rationalizing the numbers that certainly left no question in mind as to the count that was made official,” said Karsten.
Barkhouse said she still believes the democratic process at city hall can serve the people it represents.
Her advice for the three newly-elected councillors is to stand for what they believe in and fight hard until the end.
Prior to her election, Barkhouse was a labour activist. She said she is now considering a number of other opportunities.
