The preliminary results are in for the 2023 Cherry Creek byelection in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), and Mike Sparrow has been named the area’s new director.
According to preliminary results, Sparrow won the byelection with 134 votes. The next closest candidate, Darren DeLuca, had 115 votes, while Jen Smith garnered 96 votes and Tom Verbrugge came away with 61 votes.
Sparrow said he was happy to be elected “by a bigger margin this time.”
In the 2022 general election, Sparrow won the race against DeLuca by only four votes. But a review of the voting book following the election showed that some voter registration forms were not filled in correctly, which led the BC Supreme Court to declare the election invalid.
“The residents of Cherry Creek supported me, and now I want to support them,” said Sparrow after the preliminary results were announced.
While Sparrow is disappointed to have missed out on most of the ACRD’s budget discussions for this year, he is looking forward to speaking to Cherry Creek residents and setting their priorities for the next few years.
“We’ll see what Cherry Creek wants to do with the fire department and the water system, whether they want to stay independent or move to the ACRD as a service area,” he said. “I’ll lobby for as much funding as I can.”
A former fire chief for Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Sparrow says he has the experience to move these projects forward, while also keeping taxation low.
Sparrow took a moment to thank the candidates who ran against him in this byelection.
“It takes a lot of commitment to put yourself out there like that,” he said.
The official byelection results were confirmed on Wednesday, March 15. Sparrow is scheduled to take his Oath of Office during the next ACRD board of directors meeting on Wednesday, March 22.
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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