George Harvie made his mayoralty bid official tonight.
At an announcement attended by supporters at Tsawwassen Springs, the former chief administrative officer of the city declared his candidacy as well as unveiled the five council candidates who will be running on his Achieving for Delta slate.
"In the face of unpredictability, uncertainty, and constant change, I offer a stable, steady hand. I've put together my dream team, each with their own record of achieving for Delta. Together, we will keep Delta debt-free, and our taxes low,” said Harvie.
“We will work hard to improve the state of Delta's recreational facilities, and work with the school board to improve Delta's fields and tracks. We will keep Delta safe by investing in our police and fire departments, and we will keep young families in Delta by approving more housing choices in our town centres. We will do this while taking action to protect our green space and preserve our agricultural land.”
Harvie became Delta’s city manager in 2001. He retired this month after being out of city hall for the last few months finishing up his unused vacation days. For a while his name had been circulating in the rumour mill as a hopeful to succeed Lois Jackson, who won’t be seeking re-election as mayor after almost 20 years. His campaign manager last week confirmed Harvie’s intention to run but only two members of his team - Alicia Guichon and former fire chief Dan Copeland - surfaced as other candidates on Achieving for Delta.
On Tuesday night the rest of the slate was named. They include Param Grewal, described as an “entrepreneur, a social activist and an advocate for the rights of farm workers," Dylan Kruger, who “comes with extensive governing experience at both the federal and provincial level," and also former police officer Cal Traversy, who “is passionate about community safety and working with youth.”
Harvie spoke of his record and what he’s been able to help Delta achieve over the years, including the city eliminating its debt and the preservation of a huge portion of Burns Bog.
Harvie said that Achieving for Delta is excited to begin knocking on doors and engaging with the community.
The election for the next four-year term takes place Oct. 20.
