PINEDALE – With the ballots counted from the May 8 Pinedale municipal election, council member Matt Murdock moves into the mayor’s seat and John Paravicini and Dean Loftus will take their new seats on the city council.

Murdock will replace incumbent Bob Jones, a one-term mayor who did not file for reelection. Paravicini and Loftus will replace Murdock’s and incumbent Nylla Kunard’s seats. Kunard did not run for reelection.

Council members Jimmie Brost and Tyler Swafford, who both ran for the mayor’s position, will remain on the council until 2020 when their four-year council terms expire.

According to numbers posted by City Clerk Maureen Rudnick, 399 ballots were cast in person and 22 absentee ballots were cast.

Before election day, there were 871 registered voters in Pinedale town limits, resulting in a 48-percent voter turnout rate. That number did not include any voters who registered at the polls on Tuesday.

Murdock won with 161 votes. Brost earned 135 votes and Swafford finished with 123

In the council races, voters were able to choose up to two candidates. Loftus finished with 224 votes and Paravicini had 221 votes. Challengers Isaac Best had 170 votes, Tim Lingle, a former council member, had 93 votes and Susan Lynn had 74 votes.

Those numbers were reviewed by the canvassing board and verified Wednesday, May 9.

The new mayor and council members will be sworn in on June 1.

All candidates have until the close of business on May 18 to file and report their campaign expenditures with the Sublette County Clerk’s Office. n