Tantramar has a new deputy mayor. Councillor Matt Estabrooks was elected with four votes from council at their meeting Tuesday night, replacing former deputy mayor Greg Martin, who served for two one-year terms.
Estabrooks was nominated by his neighbour around the council table, Councillor Barry Hicks. “I think Deputy Mayor Martin has done a great job,” Hicks told his fellow councillors, “but I would like to see somebody else get the opportunity to try it.”
Two other councillors were also nominated.
Councillor Alison Butcher nominated her council table neighbour Josh Goguen, and Councillor Bruce Phinney nominated his neighbour, Debbie Wiggins-Colwell.
Wiggins-Colwell has been nominated twice before for the position, including last year by Councillor Hicks, and the previous year by then-councillor Matt Estabrooks.
In this year’s election, Estabrooks won the position with four votes, from himself, Hicks, Councillor Michael Tower and Mayor Andrew Black.
Goguen received three votes, from himself, Butcher, and outgoing deputy mayor Greg Martin.
Wiggins-Colwell received two votes, from herself and Bruce Phinney.
The position of deputy mayor pays a slightly higher stipend than that of councillor, and requires commitment to attend events and chair meetings when the Mayor is unavailable.
Martin took a moment after the election to thank council and staff for their support in the role.
“I’m very, very happy with the way that I was able to represent Tantramar in many places across Canada,” says Martin. “I met people from all over and I’ve had an opportunity to tell them what an amazing, beautiful place Tantramar is to live in and to be a politician.”
New Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks will serve in the position until at least December 2025.
