A CLEAR gap is emerging between Mildura Council challengers and the also-rans as counting into this year’s local government elections reaches the half way mark.
Former long-serving mayor Glenn Milne remains a clear leader in first preference votes with 3370 after the counting of just over 20,000 votes.
Maintaining their place in the top three are Werrimull farmer Ian Arney (1839 votes) and Liam Wood (1625) with Jason Modica (1605) and Stefano de Pieri (1596) rounding out the top five.
Mark Eckel (1401) is in sixth with Helen Healy and Cyndi Power in equal seventh both with 1142 votes.
Jodi Reynolds (1114) is ninth with nine councillors to be elected, while Katie Clements remains in contention on 998 first preference votes in 10th.
A further 282 votes back in eleventh is Troy Bailey (716) followed by Kym Kingdon (641) in 12th, Dean Wickham (630), Julie Waters (611) and Domenico Capogreco (564).
Gavin Sedgmen, who was elected to council in November 2018 following the death of Cr Max Thorburn, was yesterday in 16th position with 542 votes ahead of only Paul O’Neill (338) and Angy Fikaris (298).
