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Sechelt incumbent Wright announces re-election bid

Election 2018
Wright
Sechelt councillor Doug Wright during an interview for Coast Reporter Radio

First-term Sechelt councillor Doug Wright is running for re-election.

Wright made his decision public at the July 18 council meeting with a short poem he called “An Ode to a Four Year Term.”

“My work’s not done is the short answer,” Wright said when asked why he wants to serve a second term in an interview for Coast Reporter Radio. “There are some issues that I believe, both at the District of Sechelt and the regional district, that I would like to see through to their completion. I’m prepared to put in another four years to see if we can’t wrap some of those up.”

Wright said he feels he’s lived up to the promise he made in 2014 to see that taxpayer money was spent wisely and effectively and try to convince the balance of council to do the same.

“I believe I’ve made good decisions, I believe that my reasoning behind those decisions is solid,” Wright said. “The operations centre is probably the latest one. The question gets down to … am I going to vote yes for a building that costs $430 a square foot or am I going to look at another building that $100 or $150 a square foot and which is the best expenditure for the taxpayer?”

Wright says careful management of growth and infrastructure issues are going to be big concerns facing the incoming council. He also said he’d like to see progress on important works projects like adding sidewalks and curbing to the northbound side of Highway 101 through Davis Bay, upgrades to Norwest Bay Road, and improvements downtown, including a new civic square or expansion of Spirit Square. “I’m going to guess the cost would be under $100,000 to have a fairly nice park down there where you could have a venue for all kinds of things.”

Wright, who is currently one of Sechelt’s directors at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), said water storage, the landfill, and the departure, so far, of four out of five of the rural area directors are the major challenges facing the SCRD.

Water is one issue where Sechelt has tried to take the lead at the SCRD, and Wright said a new reservoir should be top priority. “Is that going to be cheap? No it’s not, but we need the water and we need to able to store it for the summer months and that should be at the top of the list.”

When asked if he was ready to say publicly which, if any, of the two mayoralty candidates he was supporting, Wright said: “Let me answer that question a different way. We have two current candidates. One of them is a mortgage broker who sits on the planning and development committee approving projects. I believe that there’s a conflict of interest there. Will I support somebody who I believe has got a conflict of interest and who is in violation of their oath of office? No, I will not.”

Although he didn’t mention her by name, Coun. Darnelda Siegers is the only candidate who fits that description.

In a written response for Coast Reporter, Siegers said: “I have always operated with the highest level of integrity. It covers every aspect of my life and is what I bring to council. This issue has never been raised with respect to me either formally or informally in council or with any council members, so I’m at a loss as to where this is coming from. I have clarified my occupational role with my position on council numerous times over the last two terms with lawyers well-versed in this area and each time they have assured me there is absolutely no conflict of interest.”

The full interview with Doug Wright will be available on Coast Reporter Radio (www.coastreporter.net/audio) on Aug. 3.