Sechelt business owner Alton Toth is the first non-incumbent to declare as a candidate for Sechelt council.
Toth was born and raised in Sechelt and returned to the Coast from the Lower Mainland four years ago and now runs Sew Easy in the Trail Bay Centre.
In a release declaring his candidacy, Toth, who is also first vice president of the Sechelt Downtown Business Association, said he’s “had the opportunity to connect with my customers and neighbours, and have heard about their many concerns, their thoughts, and their hopes for our community.”
As far as a platform goes, Toth said he recognizes that as Sechelt evolves and grows, it needs to be a place that respects its heritage and its history while still being attractive enough for people of all ages to want to call home.
“As a community, we need to get creative about affordable housing, not only for our seniors, but also for our young people and their families. They’re the ones who provide a strong workforce and can contribute so much to making Sechelt a more vibrant place to be,” Toth said in his announcement.
He also said he wants to see more immediate work to ensure a permanent solution to summer water shortages and gaps in storage capacity and that, “as a community, we need to get serious about not just putting garbage in a hole in the ground, through measures such as enhanced recycling and organics programs, and additional measures to divert materials.”
Toth’s campaign website is
tomorrows-sechelt.com.
With the election less than five months away, Darnelda Siegers is the only one among the incumbents in Sechelt to make her intentions public. She announced at an Oct. 5, 2016 council meeting that she would be running for mayor.
None of the members of Gibsons council, nor Mayor Wayne Rowe, have said yet if they will run in the coming election.
At the Sunshine Coast Regional District, meanwhile, rural area directors Mark Lebbell of Roberts Creek, Frank Mauro of Pender Harbour, Garry Nohr of Halfmoon Bay and Ian Winn of West Howe Sound have all decided to step down after this term. So far Lori Pratt, who’s currently chair of the school board, is the only declared candidate – she plans to run in Halfmoon Bay.
The official nomination period for B.C.’s local government elections opens on Sept. 4, with voting day set for Oct. 20.
This will be the first local government election under new campaign financing rules that include a ban on union and corporate donations, and the second with councils and regional district boards being elected for a four-year term.
