TWO new faces were co-opted onto Tavistock Town Council on Tuesday.
Mandy Gauvier and Anne Johnson were selected by written ballot by fellow councillors from a shortlist of five candidates. Mrs Johnson will represent the North ward and Mrs Gauvier will represent the South.
Council standing orders were suspended to allow two separate voting procedures to take place, simulating a secret ballot.
There were three candidates for the North ward. Ian Andrews dropped out after the first round of the ballot, after winning two votes, Mrs Johnson had five votes and Harry Smith three. In the second round, Anne Johnson received six votes and Harry Smith four.
The South ward ballot was decided at the first vote with Mandy Gauvier winning eight votes and Brian Trew two.
Mrs Johnson, 44, was born in Tavistock and has lived in the town most of her life. She lives in Abbotsfield, and is married, with a son and daughter, both attending a local school. She has an interest in the Tavistock and District Youth Network and is a governor at St Peter?s Junior School.
Mrs Gauvier, 38, who lives in Watts Road, Tavistock, has been in Tavistock for three and a half years and in West Devon for around 20 years. She is married, with one daughter and is involved with local schools and cancer charities.
Liberal Democrat councillors David Stapleton and Roy Connelly both took no part in the co-option, after declaring in December they intended to boycott the process.
During public question time, Liberal Democrat spokesman Alex Wood asked councillors why they were participating in an ?undemocratic? co-option process by secret ballot just three months before a full election. Cllr Roger Mathew rejected the notion the council was hiding behind a secret ballot and said the authority had nothing to hide.