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Harvie making Delta election announcement

It’s likely the worst kept secret in Delta.
george harvie

It’s likely the worst kept secret in Delta.

Former Delta CAO George Harvie is set to make an announcement next Tuesday evening at Tsawwassen Springs about his future, which is widely believed to be the official launch of his mayoralty bid in this fall’s civic election.

"I hope you can join me for a special announcement regarding the upcoming Delta municipal election," he stated on social media earlier this week.

On Tuesday morning, Harvie's campaign manager Micah Haince confirmed that Harvie will be running for mayor.

"We will be unveiling the slate of five that will be running alongside George," said Haince. "They will be running under the slate name Achieving for Delta. The name represents the past 18 years and the accomplishments that Lois and George have made together, but also bridges what they would like to do and their promises for Delta and continuing George’s record of success, so Achieving for Delta represents both the past and future."

On Monday, former Delta fire Chief Dan Copeland posted a similar announcement on social media.

Haince said he could not say who the other four candidates will be, but did confirm Copeland will be running alongside Harvie.

"We have a cool thing planned including a video, so it will be worth the wait," he said. "I will not deny that Dan sharing his information is an indication that he will be running alongside George."Harvie had been Delta’s top bureaucrat for over a decade, brought in by Mayor Lois Jackson.

His contract with the city as CAO expired this month.

Last year, he announced he would be retiring once his contract expired, but in December the longtime bureaucrat cleaned out his office and left early following an in-camera council meeting. Details weren’t made public.

Since then, he has still been on the city’s payroll, using up his unused vacation pay until his contract expired.

Top staffers - parks and recreation director Ken Kuntz, engineering director Steven Lan and finance director Karl Preuss – will alternate as CAO until a full-time replacement is chosen by the new council.

 

 

A Tsawwassen resident for over 40 years, Harvie joined the Corporation of Delta as CAO in 2001. Prior to that, he spent more than 30 years with the City of Burnaby in a variety of senior executive positions, including deputy city manager.

He worked with Delta council on a plethora of major issues over the years including the fight to keep Delta Hospital’s ER, the Southlands development to Delta’s lobby effort to save the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project.

He was given an award last year from the International City/County Management Association in recognition of his 45 years of service to local governments.

Several weeks ago, Coun. Sylvia Bishop was the first out of the gate to announce her candidacy for mayor on a Team Delta ticket.

In her speech at her campaign launch in North Delta, she didn’t hint whom she would be running against, only noting her opponents “have deep pockets and they know what they’re doing.”

 The municipal election is set for Saturday, Oct. 20.