INDIGO Shire has elected its youngest councillor, while controversial former Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge has failed in his bid to be re-elected.
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Provisional results for Indigo, Wangaratta, Alpine and Benalla councils were announced on Saturday afternoon and evening.
Rutherglen university student and mother Sophie Price, 24, has become Indigo Shire’s youngest councillor after snaring 928 primary votes.
Former councillor and police officer Larry Goldsworthy topped the Indigo ballot with 1394 votes.
He was followed by incumbents James Trenery (1082) and Jenny O’Connor (1017).
Others to be elected to Indigo were Bernard Gaffney, Barb Murdoch and Diane Shepheard.
Incumbents to miss out were Roberta Horne and Emmerick Teissl, who had replaced former mayor Don Chambers who died in office last year.
In Wangaratta’s fiercely contested City Ward, Dr Fidge, who was part of the team sacked by the Victorian Government, lost out.
He secured the third highest primary vote, 1271 or 12.90 per cent of the ballots, but preferences went against him.
Former mayor Ken Clarke dominated with 1950 votes, or 19.79 per cent of the tally, resulting in him being the first of four elected in the ward.
He was joined by Dean Rees (1524), Ruth Amery (920) and Dave Fuller (1004).
Wangaratta Victorian Farmers Federation leader Greg Mirabella scored 835 votes, while Labor Party figure George Dimopoulos collected 619.
The individual victors in other wards were Harvey Benton (North), Harry Bussell (South) and Mark Currie (Warby).
In Alpine Shire, mayor Ron Janas topped the vote, amassing 1650 votes, more than 500 ahead of Peter Roper (1046).
Newcomers elected were former North East Catchment Management Authority chairwoman Sarah Nicholas (494) and former Alpine Health board member Kitty Knappstein (603).
Wandiligong’s Kate Farrell was the only incumbent contesting the election not to be returned.
In addition to councillors Janas and Roper, Daryl Pearce, John Forsyth and Tony Keeble were all successful.
In Benalla, three recontesting incumbents Ellen Crocker, Andrew Vale and Margaret Richards failed to be re-elected.
The two successful existing councillor candidates were Peter Davis and Barbara Alexander.
Cr Davis topped the vote with 1843 first preferences, equating to 20 per cent of all ballots.
Fresh councillors will be Danny Claridge, Bernie Hearn, Don Firth, Scott Upston and Willie Van Wersch.
Wodonga’s vote is expected to be decided at 8 o’clock on Sunday.
All outcomes are to be declared on Monday.