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First Sechelt candidates announce intent to run

MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne announced his intention to run for mayor of Sechelt in the Nov. 15 municipal election during a candidate introduction meeting Monday night at the Seaside Centre. Thirteen other candidates were introduced seeking a position on council.

The Seaside Centre was packed with people Monday night as the first contenders for Sechelt council officially announced their intention to run in the Nov. 15 municipal election.

The event was organized by Davis Bay’s Bruce Milne who unveiled his slogan “Sechelt for All” and his intent to run for mayor of Sechelt.

A former two-term mayor of Sechelt (he was elected in 1996 and again in 1999), Milne has been away from the political scene for about a decade now, but said he felt it was time to return because “it’s time for change.”

“Why do we need change? If you’re here tonight, I probably don’t need to tell you why we need change, but the number one main issue in Sechelt is integrity and trust. People simply don’t trust our local government,” Milne told the crowd gathered Sept. 15.

He said council decisions being made in-camera and “reckless spending” on things like the Sechelt golf course takeover, airport expansion and the business development group Sechelt Innovations Ltd. were some of the reasons change was needed at the municipal level.

He also highlighted the issues around medical marijuana zoning in Sechelt and made his first campaign promise to “deal with the zoning” if elected mayor.

“We will hold town hall meetings in January and ask this community what they really want,” he said to applause from the crowd.

After talking a bit about his platform, Milne introduced 13 other candidates vying for a spot on council, none of whom said they were going to contest him for the mayors’ seat.

Milne made sure to stress the list was “not a slate.”

“The ones that I put down are the ones that as of today told me they were going to run as candidates,” Milne said.

He announced that current councillors Mike Shanks and Alice Lutes would be running again, as well as former councillors Ed Steeves, Darren Inkster (who was also mayor from 2008 to 2011), Warren Allan, Alice Janisch and Keith Thirkell. Other contenders for seats on Sechelt council include Norm Blair, Terry Karkabe, Jon Bell, Kirk Exner, Doug Wright and Noel Muller. Blair and Karkabe also ran for council in the last municipal election.

People in the audience were then invited to get to know the candidates by mingling with them and asking questions.

“You need to meet the candidates so you can make that eyeball-to-eyeball, handshake-to-handshake determination of who has integrity and who will follow through on what they’re saying,” Milne said.

He promised more public meetings in the next 60 days leading up to the election and invited guests to learn more about him and future candidate events as they are planned at www.mayormilne2014.ca




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