Come early December the Town Council will add two new faces to the dais with last week’s election of Nick DePorter and Alan Magazine.

Councilman Henry Leger was re-elected for a third term, and Mayor Linda Kavanagh was unopposed in her re-election bid.

Kavanagh said she is looking forward to the new look council.

“We have worked with Alan and Nick for a long time with their service on the Strategic Planning Advisory Commission,” Kavanagh said. “They are both very capable and should hit the ground running.”

Both DePorter and Magazine have served in the capacity of chairman for SPAC.

Unofficial returns as of late Friday, Aug. 29, had Leger receiving the greatest number of votes with 3,614.

DePorter was next with 3,563. Magazine received 3,183, and the fourth candidate on the ballot, Lina Bellenir, had 2,900 votes.

Kavanagh received 4,246 votes.

Until final numbers are available the exact turnout is not clear, however, it appears that around 25 percent of the registered voters in Fountain Hills cast ballots in the primary.

Town elections feature an all-mail ballot with all voters registered with a party affiliation automatically receiving their ballot in the mail. This was the first fall council election for the town.

Leger is the first council member in the history of the town with the potential to serve three full four-year terms.

“I am honored that the voters have re-elected me to a third term,” Leger said. “I believe my message resonated and I am humbled by those who have entrusted me to continue serving our awesome town.

“There is much to do to move our town forward. I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to serve our community, both residents and businesses alike.

“Being re-elected has been a team effort and I want to express my gratitude to all those who voted for me, long-time supporters, and last but not least, my campaign team.

“It was a close race and I want to acknowledge each of the candidates for stepping-up and running for office.”

DePorter ran for a council seat in 2012 but came up short in that election.

DePorter has lived in Fountain Hills for four years. He works at Arizona State University where he is responsible for strategic employer development for all four campus locations.

“It is an honor to have received the support of my neighbors and fellow Fountain Hills residents,” DePorter said.

“I look forward to bringing a collaborative spirit and open mind to make the most informed decisions I can in support of our great community.”

Magazine held previous elected office as a member of the Fairfax County, Va. Board of Supervisors. This was his first try at elected office since coming to Fountain Hills eight years ago.

Magazine has a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth College in Illinois. He received his MPA at Kent State University in Ohio and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

“I’m both gratified and humbled by the support I received,” Magazine said.

“I want to thank and congratulate the other

candidates for running thoughtful and positive campaigns. While there may be some slight differences in approach, there is no question but that we all want what’s in the best interest of our town.

“I’m looking forward to working with my council colleagues to address some of the challenges

we face as a community. With the help and support of our citizens I’m confident that the future

for our beautiful town will be bright.”

It appears that with a new method of calculation adopted by the state Legislature there will not be a need for a runoff campaign or election in November.