Persistence pays in politics

By Craig Westcott

The most popular councillor in CBS, according to the results of the most recent municipal election, offered a warm welcome to council’s newest member during the first public meeting of the term, last month.
In welcoming fellow councillor-at-large Warrick Cluney aboard, Christine Butler offered a bit of personal history that might serve as a good example for anyone interested in municipal politics, whether in CBS, Paradise, St. John’s or Spaniard’s Bay; in effect, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. It was apropos as this was Cluney’s second attempt at getting elected to council, having missed the cut narrowly in 2021.
“Welcome, Warrick, it’s nice to have a new face here,” said Butler, who topped the poll with 2,499 votes. “I’m certainly glad to see all the old faces here also. I would like to thank all the residents of Conception Bay South. I’m so grateful that they put their trust and faith in me to vote me in again. I started in 2013 trying to get on council. It took me three tries (before getting elected) and now I’m on my third term, so that’s not bad.”
Butler is among many councillors throughout the province who ran several times before getting elected.
For his part, Cluney too was grateful for the voters’ support. He collected 2,125 votes this election.
“I’d just like to say thank you to the residents of CBS for voting me in,” said Cluney. “Hopefully, I won’t disappoint anybody, hopefully I’ll be able to do what I said I wanted to do. I have no particular agenda, or anything. I’d just like to help the people out, like I’ve been doing at the Lion’s Club, and I look forward to working with all of staff and all of council.”