ROY -- A recount Thursday confirmed that 12-year city council veteran Marge Becraft was not re-elected in the Nov. 3 general election.
In other Weber County cities, election boards held canvasses that confirmed the unofficial results released on Election Day.
Becraft lost the city council seat she has held for 12 years. The recount that she requested after losing by just eight votes in the unofficial results showed that she actually lost by nine votes. City employees spent Thursday afternoon recounting votes as Becraft watched.
Planning commission member Brad Hilton was confirmed as top vote-getter in his first city council race. Michael Stokes, seeking his second term on the council, edged Becraft for the seat.
Becraft had no comment for the Standard-Examiner other than to say she had been waiting for the recount. Questions about Becraft swirled when former City Councilman Alan Nakayu called for her to leave the race about a week before the election, saying she was on the council only to vote against city beer license renewals. Nakayu was an ardent supporter of Hilton and also tried to run as a write-in candidate, but missed the deadline to run.
Hilton was surprised to be the leading vote-getter for the council.
"Marge has routinely taken the top spot," Hilton said. He didn't elaborate on the situation with Nakayu except to say that he had nothing to do with his negative campaign tactics. Nakayu passed out a lengthy flier with derogatory information about Becraft.
"He never contacted me and I was never out to get anybody," Hilton said.
Stokes was relieved to stay on the council.
"I am pleased. It has been a long and nerve-racking process," he said.
He said the council will not be the same without Becraft.
"She has served well for the past 12 years," Stokes said, mentioning the youth service project she organized each fall and her enthusiasm for Christmas lighting projects.
"We will have to fill those shoes for sure," Stokes said. Becraft's departure also leaves no women on the council.
City Manager Chris Davis said the recount didn't cost the city much money because city employees were used and the tally was set up just like on election night.
Becraft was there for the whole count and Stokes came in toward the end of counting. Mayor Joe Ritchie and Councilman Dave Tafoya also were present, although the mayor's race votes were not recounted.
In Ogden, votes cast in the municipal election will be certified Tuesday by the city council serving as the Board of Canvass. The action is scheduled to take place at 5:50 p.m. on the third floor of the Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Blvd.
The outcome of the Municipal Ward 1 city council race between incumbent Jesse M. Garcia and challenger Neil K. Garner has generated considerable public attention. Garner leads Garcia by a 381-363 margin, according to unofficial returns.
With provisional and absentee ballots counted, Riverdale confirmed that Mayor Bruce Burrows defeated challenger Gary Griffiths, 657-593. Norm Searle and Alan Arnold were elected city councilmen. Searle had 907 votes to Arnold's 529, topping Michael Staten (519) and Rik Hermann (469.) City Recorder Marilyn Banasky said there are no outstanding absentee ballots and there will not be a recount.
In Washington Terrace, updated election results show Mayor Mark Allen still leading Val Coles by five votes with 640 votes to Coles' 635. Val Shupe and Robert Jensen will be city councilmen with 726 and 686 votes, respectively, defeating incumbents Matthew Thorngren (567) and David Vandenbosch (512.)
City Recorder Amy Rodriguez said there are still 25 outstanding absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted but she does not expect to get any more because all the absentee ballots that went overseas have been received and counted.
--Standard-Examiner reporter Scott Schwebke and correspondent Katie Ellis contributed to this report.
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