Nanaimo香蕉视频直播檚 long-serving MLA will seek the mayor香蕉视频直播檚 chair.
NDP MLA Leonard Krog announced Wednesday evening that he will run for mayor of Nanaimo in this fall香蕉视频直播檚 local government election.
香蕉视频直播淚 haven香蕉视频直播檛 felt this enthusiastic about something for awhile, to be honest,香蕉视频直播� said Krog.
He said he香蕉视频直播檇 been musing about a mayoral bid for a couple of years, but it was the fact that so many people asked him to run 香蕉视频直播� people from across the political spectrum, he said, people who knew him well and people who didn香蕉视频直播檛.
香蕉视频直播淭hey felt that I was the person who could bring people together and that香蕉视频直播檚 the theme of the campaign. It is about bringing people together for change,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Krog was also persuaded by potential city council candidates who will now be willing to put their names forward.
香蕉视频直播淧eople who I respect, regardless of their politics but who I knew would be first-rate councillors, said, 香蕉视频直播榠f you will run for mayor, I will run for council,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat was certainly an important factor.香蕉视频直播�
It香蕉视频直播檚 official will run for mayor of
香蕉视频直播� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)
Krog said the city香蕉视频直播檚 reputation has been diminished the last three and a half years and went so far as to say Nanaimo has been 香蕉视频直播渁 bit of a laughingstock香蕉视频直播� at times.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 the bad news. The good news is it is also a wonderful opportunity and there has been an incredible increase, I think, in civic engagement,香蕉视频直播� Krog said. 香蕉视频直播淧eople who weren香蕉视频直播檛 paying a lot of attention to local politics are paying attention now.香蕉视频直播�
He said the 香蕉视频直播渆vent centre fiasco,香蕉视频直播� for example, showed that city councillors were 香蕉视频直播渙ut-of-touch and not willing to listen to people.香蕉视频直播�
A new council under his leadership would need to get up to speed on the job and hire a permanent chief administrative officer who can help attract and retain good managers at city hall, he said.
A downtown transportation hub should be an obvious priority in a modern city, he said, and he mentioned that council needs to show fortitude with social housing projects so it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 miss out on any more provincial funding.
As far as the logistics of his campaign, Krog said he will continue to serve as MLA, but will request to stop drawing his salary once the civic election campaign officially begins. If he wins, he will resign his seat; if not, the 65-year-old will serve out the rest of his term.
He said that though he recognizes a lot of the city香蕉视频直播檚 work is around zoning, roads, garbage, sewer and the like, 香蕉视频直播渙ne of the great joys of municipal politics is that if you work with a good group of people, people who put the community first, you can accomplish a lot.香蕉视频直播�
That香蕉视频直播檚 part of the appeal, Krog suggested 香蕉视频直播� making a difference in his community in a different way than through representation in the legislature, where he has served since 2005.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 effective in that forum in terms of being able to make speeches and criticize and put forward ideas and amuse and all those things, and that香蕉视频直播檚 lovely. But it is ultimately an atmosphere where the game is played with set rules and it is about conflict and we香蕉视频直播檝e seen what conflict has [done] these last three and a half years,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 want to work in an environment where whatever leadership skills I have and can bring to this, I can work with a team to make things happen. I want to move us forward. I want to make progress. I want to make change. I want to see this community develop in the way that it should.香蕉视频直播�
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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