With just over half of all the votes cast in the by-election to replace Amelia Boutlbee at the Penticton council table, Jason Reynen was the clear winner.

Of the seven candidates in the running, Reynen picked up 1,839 votes according to the preliminary results, out of a total of 3,659, or 50.25 per cent of the vote. 

The next closest candidate was Juliana Buitenhuis, who finished with 783 votes. 

Reynen had previously run for mayor in 2022 and finished just under two per cent or 219 votes below current Mayor Julius Bloomfield. 

Born and raised in Penticton, Reynen owns and operates Performance Auto Care.

One of the planks of his platform for council is to push for the establishment of a budget oversight committee to audit city spending. 

The after Boutlbee was elected MLA in last year's provincial election.

Despite seven candidates being in the running, only one seat on council is being filled despite several absences. 

Coun. James Miller is currently on paid leave as he awaits his December trial for alleged historical sex crimes in Ontario, and Coun. Helena Konanz is taking what might be temporary unpaid leave to run in the federal election for the Conservative Party of Canada.