Nanaimo害羞草研究所檚 long-serving MLA will seek the mayor害羞草研究所檚 chair.

NDP MLA Leonard Krog announced Wednesday evening that he will run for mayor of Nanaimo in this fall害羞草研究所檚 local government election.

害羞草研究所淚 haven害羞草研究所檛 felt this enthusiastic about something for awhile, to be honest,害羞草研究所� said Krog.

He said he害羞草研究所檇 been musing about a mayoral bid for a couple of years, but it was the fact that so many people asked him to run 害羞草研究所� people from across the political spectrum, he said, people who knew him well and people who didn害羞草研究所檛.

害羞草研究所淭hey felt that I was the person who could bring people together and that害羞草研究所檚 the theme of the campaign. It is about bringing people together for change,害羞草研究所� he said.

Krog was also persuaded by potential city council candidates who will now be willing to put their names forward.

害羞草研究所淧eople who I respect, regardless of their politics but who I knew would be first-rate councillors, said, 害羞草研究所榠f you will run for mayor, I will run for council,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat was certainly an important factor.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 official will run for mayor of

害羞草研究所� Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)

Krog said the city害羞草研究所檚 reputation has been diminished the last three and a half years and went so far as to say Nanaimo has been 害羞草研究所渁 bit of a laughingstock害羞草研究所� at times.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 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,害羞草研究所� Krog said. 害羞草研究所淧eople who weren害羞草研究所檛 paying a lot of attention to local politics are paying attention now.害羞草研究所�

He said the 害羞草研究所渆vent centre fiasco,害羞草研究所� for example, showed that city councillors were 害羞草研究所渙ut-of-touch and not willing to listen to people.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所檚 work is around zoning, roads, garbage, sewer and the like, 害羞草研究所渙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.害羞草研究所�

That害羞草研究所檚 part of the appeal, Krog suggested 害羞草研究所� making a difference in his community in a different way than through representation in the legislature, where he has served since 2005.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 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害羞草研究所檚 lovely. But it is ultimately an atmosphere where the game is played with set rules and it is about conflict and we害羞草研究所檝e seen what conflict has [done] these last three and a half years,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 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.害羞草研究所�

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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