Well-known local entrepreneur Tom Dyas is taking another run at the 麻豆精选 mayor鈥檚 chair.
鈥溌槎咕� has seen tremendous growth over the last eight years and while we鈥檝e seen some positive changes, our leaders have failed to address many of the key priorities of our residents,鈥� said Dyas.
鈥淩esidents need a mayor who will listen to them when they say crime has gotten worse, housing is unaffordable, roads are congested, and a 29 per cent increase in property taxes is too much.鈥�
Dyas, a former chamber of commerce president and lead on the city鈥檚 successful 2020 Memorial Cup bid, came second to current Mayor Colin Basran in the 2018 campaign.
鈥溌槎咕� has one of the highest crime rates in the country, housing prices are out of reach for too many, our infrastructure is aging and yet we鈥檝e seen a 29 per cent increase in taxes over eight years,鈥� added Dyas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time for residents to get results.鈥�
Dyas officially kicked off his mayoral campaign with an event at the Centennial Hall in Rutland, attended by more than 30 supporters.
Dyas said he chose Rutland to launch his campaign, which he also did four years ago, because the hall availability fit his campaign schedule and to acknowledge Rutland鈥檚 need for new and improved amenities should not be ignored.
In a media scrum after speaking to his supporters, Dyas touched on several issues including taking a leadership role in addressing solutions to reduce crime, encouraged the province to continue studying initiatives for a second Okanagan Lake crossing, and wanting to see more specifics before addressing provincial government calls to override city control of housing development and rezoning.
In response to ongoing development, Dyas said his position is to ask the question 鈥榃hat is in it for 麻豆精选?鈥� before saying yes to new projects.
He said issues like daycare, rental affordability units, parks, road improvements should be addressed from the city鈥檚 self-interest perspective.
鈥淲e have a lot of the right talk but not a lot of the right action. That鈥檚 why I want to run for mayor,鈥� Dyas said.
Dyas has been involved in 麻豆精选 Minor Hockey and sat on several community steering committees and boards dealing with community development including the Journey Home Task Force, Airport Advisory Committee, Child Advocacy Centre, and an Okanagan College committee tasked with designing new courses.
鈥淎s your mayor, my promise to you is to never say that good is good enough and to never say that any issue we鈥檙e facing as a community is not my problem,鈥� said Dyas.
鈥淏eing a leader means listening and stepping up when others won鈥檛. That鈥檚 what I鈥檒l do as your mayor.鈥�
Colin Basran has not yet declared if he will run for the mayor鈥檚 seat in October鈥檚 municipal elections.
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@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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