Bob Schewe wants to be 麻豆精选鈥檚 next mayor because, in his opinion, the current city council has taken 麻豆精选 鈥渄own an unacceptable path.鈥�
That path, he says, is the current 鈥渙ffensive and unsafe鈥� condition of the downtown, as well as other areas of the city.
鈥淥ur parks, including many neighbourhood children鈥檚 playgrounds, have turned into an uncivilized arena with associated transient presence and their activities,鈥� said the retired former city bylaw officer.
He, like others seeking seeking seats on city council in the upcoming Oct. 20 civic election, has homed in on the downtown issue as a central plank for his platform.
鈥淲e must pursue workable solutions for 麻豆精选鈥檚 complex issues of affordability, livability and safety for all residents,鈥� said Schewe, who wants to see a tougher stance by the city when it comes to dealing with transients and drug users downtown.
鈥淭hese are especially serious concerns for our vulnerable retired senior population.鈥�
Schewe worked as a city bylaw officer for 12 years and said he has hands-on experience dealing with some of the issues and serious problems in the 麻豆精选 and claims to know what does and does not work.
But, while the downtown issue may have prompted Schewe to run for mayor, it is not the only area where he said he wants to see changes at city hall.
He said 麻豆精选 needs to slow down what he sees as a rush to become a big city 鈥渁t any cost.鈥�
鈥淢oderate growth and careful development has to be good for all our existing businesses and residents,鈥� said Schewe, adding they must also bring prosperity for all.
Schewe describes himself as a fiscal conservative and 鈥渟omewhat of a Libertarian,鈥� and says he is concerned about how the city is spending money.
鈥淲hen it comes to spending money鈥攖axpayers money鈥攚e must be prudent and scrutinize carefully all projects and services,鈥� he said.
Currently, all development proposals are vetted by city planning staff before they are presented to council and council goes through all new spending line by line during its annual budget process. Prior to that requests for new spending are been reviewed by individual departments and senior city staff. Reviews of current and on-going programs are also reviewed.
In addition to his career as a bylaw officer, Schewe has worked as a renovation contractor, has been a landlord with several rental properties, worked for the regional district鈥檚 dog control department and was a firefighter in Westbank in the mid-1990s.
He joins a mayoral race with three other confirmed candidates, including incumbent Colin Basran and challengers Bobby Kennedy and Joshua Hoggan. Former 麻豆精选 Chamber of Commerce president Tom Dyas is expected to join the race Wednesday.
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