After an eight-year absence, she could be a significant factor as the incoming city council members await the Nov. 16 swearing-in ceremony.

Former city councillor and then mayor Heather Jackson polled 5,208 votes, the fifth-highest among the eight councillors.

We spoke at length with her this past week, and she admitted the support from city voters was “humbling.”

She opened the conversation with, “I really appreciate the support from the community. And it’s certainly humbling to see those numbers when I’ve been off for eight years. I had a lot of people reaching out for me to even just consider running. So I knew there was some support out there. But when the numbers came in, I was certainly surprised.”

She added that she was surprised by the loss of three incumbents in the Oct. 26 vote. Resulting in a significantly new-look council.

“I think it’s a great group, a great mix of experience, some new faces. And, you know, I’m really looking forward to this. It’s been eight years that I’ve been away from the council table, but certainly have kept in touch with what’s going on. And I’m really looking forward to being back.”