As I am out knocking on doors for the election campaign, one of the common questions I am asked is, “Who are you voting for?”
My answer is that I am voting strategically by voting for a core of 4 candidates in order that four like minded people form a majority on Duncan Council.
The three candidates I am primarily supporting are: Garry Bruce, Mike McKinlay and Mark Anderson.
Then I am picking one additional candidate who I believe will support the position of the core three candidates. That fourth candidate is Carol Newington., who I believe is the candidate most likely to side with Garry Bruce, Mike McKinlay and Mark Anderson on key issues.
Having four like minded Council members elected to Council will give us a majority on a Council comprised of the Mayor and six Councillors.
While I like Councillor Bob Brooke personally, I believe he has sided with, and voted with, Mayor Michelle Staples far too often during the last four years to rely on him to vote with us on key issues.
Councillor Tom Duncan has been on Duncan Council for about twenty years but he no longer lives in Duncan and I cannot support any candidates for Duncan Council who do not actually live in Duncan, own property in Duncan or own a business in Duncan. It makes no sense to me to have Council members voting on issues which affect Duncan residents, taxpayers and businesses with actually being a Duncan resident, taxpayer or business owner themselves.
Stacy Middlemiss does not live in Duncan (she lives in North Cowichan and is not a Duncan taxpayer) and she is also part of Mayor Staples’ inner circle, so I cannot support her.
Jenni Capps is also part of Mayor Staples inner circle, so I cannot support her either.
So I will be voting for four candidates who I believe will be “Putting Duncan Residents, Taxpayers & Businesses First”. Those four candidates are: Garry Bruce, Mike McKinlay, Mark Anderson and Carol Newington.
Would you like to leave a comment or question about anything on this post?
My name is Mark Anderson and I am running as a candidate for City of Duncan Council in the upcoming municipal election to be held on 15 October 2022. Here are the candidates for Duncan Council.
I believe the residents, taxpayers and businesses in Duncan have not been well served by Duncan Council since the last election in 2018. The current Mayor and many members of the current Council, with some notable exceptions, do not place Duncan’s residents, taxpayers and businesses at the top of their priority list.
I believe that needs to change. If elected, my top priority will be “Putting Duncan’s Residents, Taxpayers And Businesses First.”
I have been a City of Duncan resident and taxpayer since 2007. I also operate a successful business serving Duncan and the Cowichan Valley, Greater Victoria and Nanaimo.
So I totally understand the leading issues that are most important to Duncan’s residents, taxpayers and businesses.
In my view those issues are taxes; public infrastructure; maintaining safe and attractive neighbourhoods and a safe and attractive downtown core; public safety; maintaining the livability and small town character of Duncan; and creating and maintaining policies to promote and encourage local business.
I want to ensure that Duncan is, and remains, a prosperous small town that is an attractive place to live and visit.
The ways of accomplishing this are not a mystery or a closely guarded secret. The 18th century Scottish economist Adam Smith laid down the basic common features of successful nations and cities in his classic book, The Wealth Of Nations, first published in 1776 and still considered one of the most influential books ever written.
According to Adam Smith, successful nations and cities shared some common key characteristics. The governments of successful nations and cities were:
serious about keeping their public finances in order. The governments of successful nations and cities are, in Adam Smith’s phrase, “not profligate” with public finances. Ensuring that the City of Duncan keeps municipal taxes at reasonable levels and ensuring those tax dollars are used efficiently are essential;
diligent in building and maintaining public infrastructure. As Adam Smith emphasized, societies function far better with good infrastructure than with poor infrastructure or without infrastructure;
serious about maintaining public safety and the rule of law, without which society descends into anarchy while crime and public disorder become intolerable. Crime and public safety are very important issues for Duncan residents, taxpayers and businesses;
diligent in creating a climate in which business could prosper. In Adam Smith’s classic phrase, successful businesses create a prosperous society through the actions of “the invisible hand“;
providing quality public education. (I will add comments on the District 79 School Board candidates in due time)
These things are as true and as important today as they were when Adam Smith first wrote about them in 1776.
If elected to the City of Duncan Council I will constantly keep Adam Smith’s admonitions in mind.
I will ensure that Duncan’s finances are kept in order and that the City of Duncan is “not profligate” with your tax dollars. Duncan’s municipal taxes must NOT be an onerous burden on its residential or business taxpayers;
I will be diligent in building and maintaining the public infrastructure that the City of Duncan is required to provide, and in keeping the cost of that infrastructure within the means of Duncan’s taxpayers;
I will be very serious about maintaining public safety and the rule of law. Crime, disorder and a lack of public safety do not lead to successful cities or desirable places to live; quite the opposite.
I will emphasize the creation and maintenance of a political climate and policies under which Duncan businesses can prosper. Successful businesses are a fundamental component of any successful city.
