Delta Mayor George Harvie has announced his new slate that will be running in this year’s municipal election.
At a packed unveiling event held at Tsawwassen Springs on Tuesday evening, Harvie announced his re-election bid with new as well as familiar faces that will be on the Achieving for Delta ticket for council and school board.
“Over the last four years, I have worked to deliver on record investments while keeping taxes low and Delta debt-free,” said Harvie. “I’m proud of our achievements, but there is much more to do. It’s time to elect a full team of Achieving for Delta council and school board candidates to continue moving our community forward. Our Achieving for Delta team represents a wide range of experience, ages, and backgrounds.”
Joining him on the slate for council are incumbents Dylan Kruger and Alicia Guichon, both first elected with Harvie in 2018, along with incumbent school board trustees Daniel Boisvert and Jessie Dosanjh, who are making the switch from school board to council.
Also running on the slate and hoping to make it onto council for the first time are Rod Binder and Jennifer Johal.
Highlighting Harvie’s Achieving for Delta slate for the school board is three-term incumbent Val Windsor, the current board chair who had previously run as an independent.
“George Harvie knows how to bring people together and I am proud to be running on his team. It is vital that council and school board continue to work together to deliver on needed projects for our community,” said Windsor.
She said she got to know Harvie during the last four years as the district partnered with the city on several initiatives including the new North Delta Secondary track.
Incumbent Erica Beard is once again running for school board, while Nimmi Daula, Ammen Dhillon, Masako Gooch, Maury Kask and Joe Muego are on Harvie’s ticket hoping to make it onto the board for the first time.
Harvie said he wanted strong representation from both North and South Delta and his candidates come from diverse backgrounds.
Kruger noted Harvie considers it important to have younger and more diverse voices on council.
After a heated 2018 civic election campaign, Harvie emerged the victor as he took the mayor’s seat with almost 40 per cent of the vote, helped largely by a powerful showing in North Delta.
Four members of his Achieving for Delta slate – Guichon, Kruger, Lois Jackson and Dan Copeland - were elected to council.
Another three members of Harvie’s slate were elected to the school board in the 2018 race with Boisvert, Beard and Dosanjh elected for the first time.
“Our team is ready to hit the ground running,” said Harvie.
“Starting this week, we will be knocking on doors across Delta to spread the news and ask for our community’s support. Delta is one of the best communities in Canada to live and raise a family. Together, let’s make it number one.”
Harvie said he will lay out a comprehensive platform over the coming months that will focus on low taxes, safer communities, keeping families and seniors together and achieving investment for a more livable and climate-resilient Delta.
Noticeably absent on the ticket for year’s race are Copeland, Delta’s former fire Chief, and Jackson, the city’s former longtime mayor who hired Harvie to be the city’s manager back in 2002. Jackson has clearly been at odds, heated sometimes, with Harvie at the council table over the past few years.
The Optimist is contacting the remaining incumbent councillors and school trustees in the coming days to get an answer as to their status for the election. More details in next week’s Optimist.
The election takes place Oct. 15.
