The Scottish-born owner of Wanaka's Paradiso Cinema, Mr McLeod was mountain biking when the results were announced on Saturday afternoon and told the Otago Daily Times the result was ''fantastic''.
His 2398 votes comfortably outdid Queenstown deputy mayor Lyal Cocks, who was returned with 1797 votes, and new Wanaka councillor, Ella Lawton (1544 votes).
Wanaka ward councillors Jude Battson (1367 votes) and Leigh Overton (893 votes) lost their seats.
Wanaka voters, some upset by the council's decision earlier this year to reduce staff at the town's library - and some even talking of breaking away from Queenstown - voted in better numbers than previously.
The total vote cast in the Wanaka ward was 3626, or 53% of eligible voters - a 5% improvement on the last election.
In contrast, Queenstown's vote dropped 9% to 41% and Arrowtown's 22% to 35%.
Asked if he agreed with the campaign for a separate authority for Wanaka, Mr McLeod likened the movement to the lengthy ''Bring back Buck'' campaign that never succeeded in having Buck Shelford returned to the All Blacks.
Mr McLeod noted the Government was looking at ways of reducing the number of local authorities, rather than increasing them, and gave the Auckland super city as an example of where local government in the rest of the country might be heading.
Head of the ''Project Forward'' group investigating a separate authority for Wanaka, Graham Berry, told the ODT yesterday he was pleased with the outcome, which brought some ''new intellectual grunt'' to the council.
However, he said the result had ''little to do'' with his group's work, which was about the structure of the council and how the region should be governed.
''This is all about decision-making being made closer to the community, which I believe is what democracy is all about.
''So while amalgamation has been the trend, it doesn't mean that it's correct.''
New councillor Ella Lawton noted the increased Wanaka turnout and said ''perhaps'' that was due to Wanaka people feeling ''unsettled'' about ''particular topics''.
A pre-election suggestion that Wanaka voters signal their discontent by recording an informal vote did not seem to have caught on. Only 19 informal votes were cast in the Wanaka ward.
Unseated councillor Jude Battson had no comment to make when asked if the library controversy had been a factor in her defeat.