INDEPENDENT candidate Kieron Green beat the SNP’s Breege Smyth by 22 votes to become Oban, North and Lorn’s new councillor in last Thursday’s by-election.
Mr Green polled 755 first preference votes compared to Ms Smyth’s 1,055, but he was elected at the fourth stage after the two candidates with fewest votes were eliminated.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Andrew Ross Vennard came third with 591, while Scottish Liberal Democrat David Pollard came fourth with 294 first preference votes. The total number of valid ballots cast was 2,651, with 16 rejected, representing 33.46 per cent of the electorate.