Former CAO Tim Palmer preliminary winner in Revelstoke city council by-election

In preliminary results, former Revelstoke Chief Administrative Officer Tim Palmer has taken the Feb. 13 Revelstoke City Council by-election, getting 463 votes out of 837 cast, and topping nearest rival Matt Cherry’s 287 votes.

The City of Revelstoke posted the unofficial results and you can see the details in the image below from the City of Revelstoke webpage that shows unofficial election results:

The preliminary results of the Revelstoke February 13, 2021 Revelstoke city council by-election as captured from the city’s preliminary results page. Image: City of Revelstoke PDF

Palmer was the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Revelstoke until 2015, when he departed after a city council changeover, announcing his retirement. Palmer had worked at a series of progressive roles in municipal government across B.C., including public works leadership.

Since leaving the city, Palmer has resided with his wife in Revelstoke, working as a local government consultant, often for neighbouring communities including Nakusp and Sicamous. He also served as CAO in Sechelt.

Late in his time as Revelstoke CAO, Palmer had a public run-in with the city’s economic development director at the time. The story, including a public apology from Palmer, generated local headlines.

Palmer has mainly used his Facebook page, Tim Palmer City of Revelstoke Council Candidate, as his main campaign communication tool.

Palmer is by far the most experienced of the three candidates and his messaging sounded the most tuned into municipal government.

Matt Cherry, who finished second, manages and is an owner in a company that owns and rents out several Revelstoke homes. Cherry focused on housing during his campaign, but his relative inexperience in the Revelstoke municipal scene was a factor.

Alistair Taylor’s campaign, while often well-meaning, lacked focus and  messaging that resonated with voters.

The campaign was relatively low key, with several media organizations and community groups hosting live video chats and publishing stories.

Interested in learning about Palmer’s views on key issues like housing, affordability and future planning? Revestokemountaineer.com reached out to all three candidates with a Q&A interview. You can read councillor-elect Palmer’s answers on key Revelstoke municipal issues here:

In their words: Three Revelstoke City Council candidates on key community issues

Voter turnout low

A total of 837 electors cast ballots. There are about 5,664 eligible electors on the roll, and the city calculated turnout at 14.78%.

The city held two advance voting dates and also accepted mail-in ballots, among several COVID-19-related safety adaptations.

Assuming the results are certified and Palmer is sworn in, he will serve until the next general municipal election in B.C. on October 15, 2022, when all Revelstoke mayor and council positions will be up for election again.

Three candidates sought the city councillor position in the Feb. 13, 2021 by-election. In alphabetical order by surname, they were Matt Cherry, Tim Palmer and Alistair Taylor. You can read all candidates’ views on key issues in the story linked above.

The by-election filled a seat vacated in January 2020, when Coun. Steven Cross resigned, citing concerns about council plans to significantly raise its own pay. The by-election was delayed by COVID-19 and by significant local delays.