The byelection to fill seat two in Otter Lake ended with only one candidate, Scott Gauthier, winning it by acclamation.
The deadline for candidates to submit their paperwork was July 24.
The seat was vacated by Gerry Bimm, who resigned from council Apr. 29 after being elected for the first time in Nov. 2025. He did not give a reason for his decision.
Gauthier said he’s originally from Otter Lake but moved away for work as a younger man. Upon retiring from the construction industry in 2022, he moved back to the area and opened Scooters Bar and Grill in 2023.
He said that this was his first time running for office, and he was excited to offer his services to the community.
“I’ve always been interested in municipal politics. Being back in the community, I have a little bit of time to give back. That was pretty much my reasoning,” he told THE EQUITY.
He said environmental issues such as the milfoil encroaching on several local lakes was an issue that was top of mind for him.
“I’ve been pretty active with some of the councilllors working on that issue as I’m a rep of the board of directors for Leslie Park. We manage a big part of the lake.”
