Countdown for city seat a cliffhanger

Press, 26 October 1989, Page 1

Countdown for city seat a cliffhanger

By

KAY FORRESTER

Forty-seven special votes will decide who is Burwood’s second Christchurch city councillor. Special votes for the city are now being counted and the returning officer, Mr Max Robertson, hopes to release the official result on Saturday. Counting started yesterday and was to continue today. The Burwood ward result is the only council result that could be overturned, with a margin before special votes of only single figures. “The Press” understands that Mr Arthur Adcock’s lead over Mr Mike Stevens stood at only one or two votes after a recount reduced it from .the election night count of 19, I With 47 valid special votes in

the ward that lead is obviously under threat. The high polling independent, Mrs Carole Evans, could be expected to take a large number of the specials with Messrs Adcock and Stevens sharing the bulk of the rest. The two men most anxious to hear the official result are at opposite ends of the local government spectrum. For Canterbury Labour’s Mr Adcock the reversal of his tiny lead would mean an end to 30 years in local government. For Mr Stevens, an independent, a victory would begin a local body career. Mr Adcock was philosophical yesterday. “I’ll take it as it comes,” he said. “It was a new game this

time, with new boundaries. I have represented only part of the Burwood ward before.” The Waimairi District Councillor was first elected to the then county council in 1959. He says he would be disappointed to bow out after so long in local government. The 1989 result is the closest he has faced, but he says he is not nervous about the result.— “I’m an optimist.” Mr Stevens said he was “pretty laid back” about waiting for the official result. Like Mr Adcock, he had had scrutineers watching the vote counting. “I’m more than happy with the way things are being done,” he said.