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Council campaign begins with call for withdrawal

Sylvia Bishop says veteran trustee Fabian Milat should run for either council or school board, but not both

Delta council candidate Sylvia Bishop is calling on Fabian Milat to rescind his nomination for either council or Delta school board prior to Friday's withdrawal deadline.

Milat, a three-term Delta school trustee, is running as an independent for both offices, and intends to sit on council and school board simultaneously if elected.

"When someone runs for an elected office, they need to be 100 per cent committed to doing that job," Bishop said this week.

She said she's also heard concerns about the fact Milat would collect two publicly-funded salaries simultaneously.

Milat, however, said he feels if he wins a seat on both council and school board it would be positive for the community. He said having a representative on the board and council would benefit both in terms of cost sharing initiatives and other issues.

Bishop's volley is a sign the municipal election campaign is starting to heat up now that the nomination deadline has passed.

Milat said he has been door knocking in North Delta since summer and added he's almost finished doing the same in Ladner.

He'll then move on to Tsawwassen. He quipped he's lost 25 pounds with all that exercise.

He told the Optimist there are different issues in each community, but some are common everywhere, including taxation.

Bruce McDonald, who was first elected to council in 1987, also said the three communities have their specific issue of concern.

He expects the Southlands will be a big one in Tsawwassen, but has also heard concerns about the future impacts of the South Fraser Perimeter Road and Tsawwassen First Nation commercial development.

In Ladner, McDonald said the business community is keeping a close eye on the opportunities waterfront redevelopment could bring, while in North Delta people agree more needs to be done to stimulate redevelopment.

Other council candidates have also been making their presence known throughout Delta, including Neil Corbett, who's been attending various events and posting them on his blog.

Websites, blogs and other social media, including Facebook, have become a valuable tool for many of the candidates.

Recently having visited Scott Road businesses in her tour of Delta, Ranjit Heer said many have stated it's time for a change.

At least one new face will become a councillor because Heather King is vacating her seat after one term to take a run at the mayor's job.

Incumbents Ian Paton, who won last year's by-election, Scott Hamilton and Robert Campbell are on the Delta Independent Voters Association ticket.

Garth Cuthbert and Heer are part of a new electoral organization called Renew Delta.

The rest of the council candidates are independents, although McDonald is endorsing former councillor Jeannie Kanakos in her bid to return to the table.

CANDIDATES FOR DELTA COUNCIL

Sylvia Bishop Scott Broderick

* Robert Campbell Andrew Conley Neil Corbett Garth Cuthbert

* Scott Hamilton Ranjit Heer Jeannie Kanakos

* Bruce McDonald Fabian Milat

* Ian Paton

* Anne Peterson

* Incumbent