3rd place finisher for CBRM mayor wants recount

A candidate who lost the race for mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality by 31,000 votes is being warned that he could be hit with court costs if there's a judicial recount.

Donnie [Fuzzy] Bacich has applied for one. A judge is scheduled to hear an application for a hearing dateon Monday.

Bacich, who came in last place behind John Morgan and Alan Nathanson, isn't saying why he wants the ballots from this month's municipal election recounted.

But he can trigger a recount by simply paying $200 and making an application within 10 days, said Demetri Kachafanas, a lawyer for the municipality.

Kachafanas said unlike in a federal election, candidates in a municipal election aren't required to explain why they want a recount.

If Bacich goes ahead with his plans, the municipality will ask that he pays for the court costs, whatever they may be, Kachafanas said.

"Because of the wide distribution in the votes, we really don't see a need for a recount," he said. "So we would be asking, if the recount does go ahead, that there will be substantial costs awarded if the result is the same."

Bacich didn't return calls from CBC News.

During the campaign, he refused to debate or appear in public with his two opponents.

Morgan ended up with about 82 per cent of the popular vote on Oct. 18, with more than34,000 votes. Nathanson had nearly 4,500 votes, while Bacich had just over 3,000.

Morgan said he's at a loss to explain the need for a recount.

"Given the disparity in the results, I don't think there is any likelihood of a different result," he said.