TRURO - Thousands of Colchester County residents are eligible to vote at the polls today.
The biggest race is for mayor in the Town of Truro where longtime incumbent Bill Mills is being challenged by Keltie Jones.
The pair have been vocal on numerous issues throughout the campaign including tennis courts, public transportation, taxes and library location.
Mills brings plenty of experience with 28 years on council, the last 15 of which have been spent in the mayor's seat. Jones is a relative newcomer, having moved here with her family just three years ago. But the Bridgewater native is no stranger to civic politics, having served for five years, one of them as president, on a school board that presided over a $65-million budget when she worked in California.
In addition, Truro will feature some spirited ward races where 13 candidates, including three incumbents, are vying for six seats.
There are more than 9,000 eligible voters in the town and heading into today, voter turnout - 37.3 per cent - stood at nearly double the amount of ballots cast four years ago when Mills was acclaimed as mayor.
Truro has gone to an electronic voting only system this year.
In Colchester County, there are 20 candidates vying for the seven council seats up for grabs.
One of the most interesting races is taking place in District 3 where former councillor Hugh Matheson is seeking to regain the seat he vacated four years ago in order to make an unsuccessful run at the mayor's seat.
Matheson is running against incumbent Gerald Buott, Geoff Stewart and Carol Taggart.
Another spirited battle is being waged in District 5 where Lloyd Gibbs, Scott Hagell, George Thomas and David Totten are chasing the seat vacated by Glen Edwards.
Mayor Bob Taylor and the incumbent councillors in districts 1 (Christine Blair), 2 (Bill Masters), 4 (Mike Cooper) and 8 (Ron Cavanaugh) were all returned by acclamation.
There are 28,000 county residents eligible to vote.
In Stewiacke, incumbent deputy mayor Wendy Robinson has also been acclaimed for the mayoral position, but there are 11 candidates, including four incumbents, vying for six council seats.
This has helped boost voter turnout to 32 per cent. There were 100 paper ballots cast in the two advance polls during the last nine days and 191 electronic votes were tallied as of 5 p.m. on Friday.
Here is the complete list of candidates:
TOWN OF TRURO
Mayor
* Bill Mills
Keltie Jones
Ward 1
Cheryl Ann Fritz
Burt MacLean
Evan Price
* Raymond Tynes
Valerie Wilson
Ward 2
Tom Chisholm
*Brian Kinsman
David Sears
Ward 3
Danny Joseph
* Greg MacArthur
Kenda MacLellan
Vince Roberts
Todd White
****
COLCHESTER COUNTY
Mayor Bob Taylor and councillors Christine Blair (District 1), Bill Masters (District 2), Mike Cooper (District 4) and Ron Cavanaugh (District 8) returned by acclamation).
COUNCILLORS
District 3
*Gerald Buott
Hugh Matheson
Geoff Stewart
Carol Taggart
District 5
Lloyd Gibbs
Scott Hagell
George Thomas
David Totten
District 6
Heather Collicott
* Karen MacKenzie
District 7
Angus Bonnyman
Michael Gregory
District 9
Rick Johnson
Doug MacInnes
* Bob White
District 10
Doug Cooke
* Tom Taggart
District 11
Eric Boutilier
J. Quinn McCarthy
Wade Parker
*****
TOWN OF STEWIACKE
Wendy Robinson acclaimed as mayor
COUNCILLORS
Jim Acker
Susan Creelman
* Debbie Frizzel
Chester Gourley
Jim McMorran
* Pam Osborne
Richard Patterson
Chad Ramsey
* Russel Stoddart
* Tracy Werenka
Sherrylynn Woodworth
*****
CHIGNECTO-CENTRAL REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD
(Note: Districts do not correspond to council districts)
Loretta (Margie) Nicholson (District 4), Keith MacKenzie (District 6), Jim Grue (District 9) returned by acclamation.
District 8
* Kaaren Barkhouse
Reg Pauley
Truro seat
Robert Cullen
Susan MacQuarrie
African Nova Scotia seat
* Shirley Robinson-Levering
Glenda Talbot-Richards
* denotes incumbent
