Three candidates have announced their intentions to run for mayor in the upcoming election: incumbent John Dooley will face councillor Janice Morrison and Tom Prior.
Dooley was elected in 2018 with about 400 more votes than previous mayor Deb Kozak.
“I have worked hard over the past four years to get our city back on track and stay within the mandate of local government and the community charter,” Dooley said in a news release. He also served as mayor from 2005-14 and as a councillor from 1999-2005.
He acknowledges that COVID was a major factor during his term, and that with the city coming out of a pandemic there are several projects that he would like to have come to fruition.
“Some examples of these projects are developing infrastructure on Baker Street, completion of the new pier, adapting to the changing climate, introduction of a new organic waste diversion program, and revisiting the plans for construction of a new library. Just to name a few,” says Dooley.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to put my name forward to serve our community for another term.”
Morrison, meanwhile, has been on council since 2014 and previously served from 1999-2002. She is recently retired from a career of more than 30 years as a physiotherapist at Kootenay Lake Hospital.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done on council,” she said in a news release, pointing to such things as helping to keep downtown vibrant during the pandemic, finishing the Hall Street revitalization project, initiating the street culture collaborative, and allowing dogs back on Baker Street.
“There’s just been so much good work making a great city even greater,” she said. “But there is still much more that needs to be done. Now it’s time for a new challenge. Post-pandemic we need to keep taxes and costs down for home and business owners, yet at the same time manage the incredible growth happening in Nelson.”
Prior has run for council before unsuccessfully and also stood as an independent candidate in Nelson-Creston in the 2017 provincial election.
So far the council race has four declared candidates: incumbent Jesse Woodward; Brenton Raby, who finished runner-up in last year’s by-election; and newcomers Kate Tait and Kyle Wilkinson.
