AUBURN – Voters put three new faces on the City Council, replacing incumbent councilors in wards 3 and 4 and electing a newcomer to an open seat.

According to unofficial results, Ward 4 challenger Donna Lyons Rowell got 1,018 votes to best incumbent Marcel Bilodeau. Newcomer Eric Samson got 1,076 voters to incumbent Joe DeFilipp’s 1,015 to claim the Ward 3 seat.

“People told me the one thing they all wanted, from the bottom up, is change,” Rowell said.

Councilor Bethel Shields will return to her Ward 1 seat, taking 1,346 votes to challenger Gary Baillargeon’s 903. In the city’s Ward 2, Robert Hayes got 1,231 votes to defeat Jodd Bowles, who garnered 1,009 votes. He will replace outgoing Councilor Rich Livingston, who was not seeking re-election.

At-large incumbents Robert Mennealy and Kelly Matzen defeated challenger David Pierson. Matzen had 6,002 votes; Mennealy, 5,792; and Pierson, 5,058.

With Rowell, Samson and Hayes, three new faces on the council could make things challenging, said Mayor Normand Guay. The new councilors will join Shields, Matzen, Mennealy and Ward 5 Councilor Belinda Gerry, who ran unopposed.

“But I will work with the council the voters give me,” Guay said. “My job as mayor is to act as a facilitator. That’s what I will do, to make sure we work together.”

Guay said he had faith in the new councilors and the voters.

“There’s not a single person there that I can’t work with,” Guay said. “I may not agree with some of them, but they were elected and we are all here to work for the taxpayers.”

Newcomer Samson said he would do his part to work with his new colleagues.

“I’m pretty hopeful we’ll be able to function as a team,” Samson said. He won’t vote just to go with the flow, however.

“I never pledged my vote to anybody,” Samson said. “I told my constituents all along that I would do my best and vote my conscience, but I won’t always agree with them. But if they watch my votes, I think they’ll understand my record.”

Ward 1 Councilor Bethel Shields echoed his sentiments.

“I only vote my conscience anyway, and I don’t see any reason that would change,” Shields said.

In Ward 2, Hayes praised his opponent for a fair election.

“I don’t think Jodd and I disagree a whole lot on the issues,” Hayes said. “I think this has been a very healthy process, for both of us. We’ve both been out, door to door and meeting a lot of people. If nothing else, it’s been educational.”

Samson said he enjoyed the process but was relieved that it was over. Running was more difficult than he’d imagined.

“I’ve definitely learned more about the issues, going door to door talking to the people in my ward. I have a newfound respect for the people who do this year in and year out.”

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