A newly-elected councillor won’t be sworn in on Thursday with the rest of Halifax Regional Council, as a vote recount date was called one day before the ceremony.
Patty Cuttell, who won the District 11 council seat, said in a release she was told on Wednesday that the vote recount would take place Nov. 2, after the swearing-in ceremony.
She defeated Bruce Holland for the seat by just 28 votes. Holland called for the judicial recount.
In 2012, the municipality halted the ceremony until recounts were complete, but Cuttell isn’t being accommodate the same, she said.
Cuttell is one of eight women elected to HRM council this year that take up half the seats.
“This would have been an historic moment for Halifax with gender parity on council for the first time,” Cuttell said in the release.
With Spryfield, Sambro Loop and Prospect Road in her district, Cuttell said there’s already work that needs to be done.
She said she has already started receiving several calls a day from constituents.
“People are ready to get to work, and so am I,” Cuttell said. “I will do what I can, but until sworn in I am unable to address issues at council or act in any official capacity.”
She said she doesn’t know any instance where a recount has resulted in a change of the election outcome.
Cuttell said council has important work to do, and that she hopes to attend the first council meeting scheduled Nov. 10.