tom duncan

Earlier this year, the City of Duncan went through a divisive, and very expensive, Amalgamation Referendum which was conclusively settled on 23 June 2018 by a resounding No vote from Duncan voters. But although this Amalgamation Referendum was settled nearly four months ago the effects of the Amalgamation campaign are still on the minds of Duncan voters.

As I campaign door to door around Duncan, the first two questions I am most commonly asked by voters are:

Do you live in Duncan?; and
How did you vote on Amalgamation?

Clearly the Amalgamation Referendum is still on the minds of Duncan voters. Both of these questions are very valid and I have to admit that they are also the first two questions I ask of any candidates currently running for Mayor of Duncan or for Duncan Council.

So, for the information of Duncan voters, let’s go through the list of current candidates for Duncan Mayor and Council and show the answers to the two questions above: What was your position on Amalgamation?; and, Do you live in Duncan?.

Let’s start with the Candidates for Mayor of Duncan (in alphabetical order by surname):

Martin BARKER

Was in favour of Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan; has a business in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Daniel HELMER

Position on Amalgamation not known
Lives in Cowichan Bay
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Sharon JACKSON

Against Amalgamation. [Note: Sharon Jackson also led the No Amalgamation campaign through Cowichan No Amalgamation, which was registered with ElectionsBC. Disclaimer: I volunteered on the Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign]
Lives in the CVRD [note: Sharon lived in Duncan until December 2017 when she moved to the CVRD. She has told me she plans to move back to Duncan in the near future]
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Michelle STAPLES

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Now for the candidates for City of Duncan Council (in alphabetical order by surname):

Mark ANDERSON

[Disclaimer: this website is run by Mark Anderson]

Against Amalgamation [note: actively campaigned against Amalgamation online and with Sharon’s Jackson’s Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign]
Lives in Duncan, has business based in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Bob BROOKE

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Garry Bruce, candidate for Duncan City Council (photo: Garry Bruce)

Garry F. BRUCE

In favour of Amalgamation.
Lives In Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Roger BRUCE

Note: Incumbent Councillor

In favour of Amalgamation and actively campaigned in favour of Amalgamation with the Cowichan Pro Amalgamation campaign
Lives in North Cowichan, co-owns property in Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Jenni CAPPS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Tom DUNCAN

Note: Incumbent Councillor

Against Amalgamation [note: actively campaigned against Amalgamation online and volunteered with Sharon’s Jackson’s Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign
Lives In Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Gordon HEPPELL

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan, owns a business in downtown Duncan and manages the Cowichan Merchants Building in downtown Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Lura McCALLUM

In favour of Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan, co-owns a commercial building in downtown Duncan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Stacy MIDDLEMISS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
Her name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

George NEILSON

In favour of Amalgamation and actively campaigned for Cowichan Pro Amalgamation, including many online posts arguing in favour of Amalgamation
Lives in North Cowichan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan)

Carol NEWINGTON

In favour of Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
Registered on Duncan Voters List

Glen SANTICS

Against Amalgamation
Lives in Duncan
His name does not appear in the Duncan Resident Voters List or the Duncan Non-Resident Property Electors List (which lists non-resident property owners who are allowed to vote in Duncan) although I know he lives in Duncan.

Would you like to leave a comment or question about anything on this post?

Duncan Councillor Roger Bruce is a very vocal advocate of Amalgamation of the City of Duncan and the Municipality of North Cowichan.

In support of Amalgamation, Roger Bruce has recently released this video and posted it on Youtube:

DuncanTaxpayers.ca says No to Amalgamation of Duncan and North Cowichan

We disagree with Councillor Bruce’s pro-Amalgamation position and we urge Duncan residents to Vote No in the Amalgamation Referendum on 23 June 2018.

In the interest of clarification we would like to make some comments on another issue Councillor Bruce has raised while arguing in favour of Amalgamation.

In making various pro-Amalgamation arguments online – on Facebook and other platforms – Roger Bruce has repeatedly made statements to the effect that he is the only member of Duncan City Council who pays City of Duncan taxes.

He has also made this statement in the video shown above.

With regard to other members of Duncan City Council, we note that Councillors Michelle Bell, John Horgan and Michelle Staples are not residents of the City of Duncan and therefore do not pay residential property taxes in the City of Duncan. As far as we are aware, they do not own businesses in Duncan and do not pay City of Duncan business taxes.

City of Duncan Councillor Sharon Jackson (photo: City of Duncan)

Councillor Sharon Jackson was a Duncan resident until December 2017, when she sold her house in Duncan and moved to the CVRD. It can therefore be argued that she is not paying City of Duncan taxes at this time although we note that she was a City of Duncan taxpayer at the time of the last Municipal election in 2014 and she remained a City of Duncan taxpayer until December 2017. She has stated to us that she intends to move back into the City of Duncan as soon as she can.

Mayor Phil Kent and Councillor Tom Duncan apparently rent residential accommodation in the City of Duncan so, by Councillor Roger Bruce’s argument, Mayor Kent and Councillor Duncan do not pay City of Duncan taxes although they are City of Duncan residents. We will not address this argument here; readers can form their own opinions on that.

Councillor Bruce’s statements that he is the only person on Duncan City Council who pays City of Duncan taxes have given many people the impression that Councillor Roger Bruce lives in the City of Duncan. Apparently that is not the case; we have been informed that Councillor Bruce actually lives in the Municipality of North Cowichan.

But Councillor Bruce does pay City of Duncan taxes. He owns commercial property, on which he pays City of Duncan taxes, at the south east corner of Cairnsmore Street and Government Street. This property contains the buildings currently occupied by the 49th Parallel Grocery and the Fishbowl Cafe.

Here is a Google Street View image of this property in May 2015:

Councillor Bruce also owns adjacent properties to the south on Government Street between Cairnsmore Street and Herbert Street. In the past he has sought to develop these lots and has applied to the City of Duncan for variances for that purpose.

Here is a Google Street View image of these properties in May 2015:

So there is no doubt that Councillor Roger Bruce is a City of Duncan taxpayer. He pays City of Duncan taxes on the commercial properties shown above.

But it seems he is not a resident of the City of Duncan. We have been told that he resides in the Municipality of North Cowichan. We have asked Councillor Bruce for clarification of this but, as of this date, we have not received an answer.

So for Duncan taxpayers and residents who have heard Councillor Roger Bruce’s statement and arguments in favour of Amalgamation and that he is the only member of Duncan City Council who pays City of Duncan taxes, be aware that, while Councillor Roger Bruce is in fact a City of Duncan taxpayer, he is apparently a resident of the Municipality of North Cowichan.

This is in no way meant as a personal attack on Councillor Roger Bruce. We are simply seeking to clarify his repeated statements that he is the only member of Duncan City Council who pays City of Duncan taxes.

We urge City of Duncan residents to Vote No on 23 June 2018.

Duncan Mayor And Council Candidates – Which Candidates Live In Duncan And Which Ones Do Not?

Councillor Roger Bruce – Is He A City of Duncan Resident?