NWT - Voters in hamlets across the territory elected new mayors on Dec. 14.

In the Beaufort Delta region, the incumbent mayors of Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk were both re-elected.

Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Merven Gruben reclaimed his seat by 15 votes Dec. 14.

Gruben received 148 votes, while Jim Stevens came second with 133 and Eddie Dillon third with 113 votes. About 58 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots.

Voters also chose Holly Ovayuak-Gruben, John Stuart Jr., Charles A. Gruben, Darrel Nasogaluak and Dennis Raddi Sr. to represent them on council. Tuk residents voted in favour of a liquor plebiscite, aimed at bootleggers, to restrict the amount of alcohol people can bring into the community. The plebiscite passed 174 to 158 votes, with three spoiled ballots.

Gruben said the election results didn't come as a shock, and that he's looking forward to working with the "good blend of different people, young and old" that makes up the new council.

"I figured everybody would come through and get me to carry on and finish what I started," he said. Gruben said Tuk is "definitely" going to finish the route to the community's gravel pit, and he's still working with the federal and territorial governments on the all-weather road to Inuvik.

As for the liquor restrictions, which come into effect once the new council takes office in January, Gruben said he was confident people would support it.

"I knew the people were going to vote for a change on the alcohol," he said. "I was surprised Aklavik's didn't pass, though."

A similar liquor plebiscite in Aklavik failed by eight votes - 121 against, 113 in favour and three spoiled ballots.

Mayor Billy Storr, re-elected for a two-year term after winning a byelection last December, said "most everyone in the community was informed" about the alcohol restrictions at a public meeting before the vote and he's glad that people had their say even though they voted it down.

"I'm a little disappointed but at least that's a step to letting people know about the problems with alcohol in this community," he said.

Annie B. Gordon, a steering member of the Aklavik elder's committee that pushed the liquor plebiscite forward, said she felt residents voted against the restrictions because they didn't fully understand them.

"I was not really pleased about how it was introduced to the community," she said, adding supporters of the plebiscite should have made house calls to explain it to people.

"A lot of people, what this plebiscite sounded like for them was that if they voted yes, that they're just cut off from bringing booze into the community - they didn't really understand it."

In his second term as mayor, Storr said his priorities will be getting a road to Aklavik's quarry, maintaining the existing roads and stabilizing the riverbank to combat erosion.

Hazel Nerysoo, the new mayor of Fort McPherson, won the position by 21 votes in Monday's hamlet election. Nerysoo received 116 votes while Rebecca Blake received 95, incumbent Bill Prodromidis received 89 and Philip M. Blake got 37.

Nerysoo said she felt "honoured," especially since she was competing against three others who she said all worked hard on their campaigns.

"I didn't make any promises. I have a council to work with and I don't know what the financial situation is and I believe in strategic planning so we've got to look at what's there," Nerysoo said after the election, adding she really wants to strengthen the hamlet's working relationship with the band and promote youth leadership.

About 64 per cent of the population of Fort McPherson voted, choosing five councillors: Leslie P. Blake, Paul Hanthorn, Taig Connell, Jim Clark and Rebecca Blake, who will serve for a one-year term.

In Tulita, voters elected Danny Yakeleya by 11 votes. Yakeleya, who served as mayor of the hamlet for several terms about eight years ago, received 31 votes while his sole opponent, Wilfred Lennie Sr., received 20 votes.

Wilfred Lennie Sr. will serve a second term on council after pulling in the second highest number of votes in that race, after Janet Bayha.

Also elected were Walter Andrew, Lorraine Doctor, Lori Ann Lennie, Darryl Lennie, Gary Yakeleya and Dougie Yallee.

Roughly 20 per cent of the population turned out to vote on Dec. 14.