The runner-up in Nanaimo’s last mayoral election is ready to consider entering next year’s race.
Bill Holdom said Wednesday he would like to see order and a “collective sense of purpose” on a council that can “move forward in spite of differences.”
Nanaimo has been grabbing headlines for its ongoing discord between council members and with its chief administrator. Disputes and outbursts have taken place in public and during in-camera meetings.
The city has been rebuffed by the new NDP provincial government and the former Liberal administration in its request for help to sort out the conflict.
Fed-up citizens launched a petition this week seeking a code of conduct for city hall. Related correspondence is on the agenda for Monday’s 7 p.m. council meeting.
Holdom captured 4,265 votes in the 2014 mayor’s race, placing second behind Bill McKay, who pulled in 6,400 votes.
“I would consider being part of a group to that would run to change the current council,” Holdom said.
McKay is questioning whether he will run for re-election in the fall 2018 election. He said Tuesday that if he had to decide right now, he would not run again.
“I need to have further discussions with my family.”
He believes that the oath of office should be expanded to include a council charter with a code of conduct. A code was presented to council members a few years ago, but not everyone signed it and it was dropped, McKay said.
John Ruttan served as mayor for two terms starting in 2008 before being defeated in 2014. As for the next election, he said: “You never say never, but I think it is quite unlikely that I would put my name forward.”
Ruttan remains a keen council watcher, saying: “It just seems to go from bad to worse.”
The situation is shameful and embarrassing, he said. Anyone outside of Nanaimo who was thinking of a making a major investment in the city would probably be “more than a little alarmed” if they watched archived tapes of council meetings, he said.
The online petition, started by Matthew O’Donnell, was approaching 200 names by late Wednesday afternoon. O’Donnell said he is the face of a group of about 10 residents.
“As a private citizen, I’m fed up with continuing to look in the national mainstream news and seeing embarrassing headlines about the City of Nanaimo,” he said. “It just seems that every couple of days, there’s a new ounce of drama thrown into Nanaimo city council.”
The public needs to unite and say “Enough,” O’Donnell said. “We just want our councillors to get back to business and back to work.”
The petition is calling for council members and the city’s chief administrative officer to sign a code of conduct by 8 p.m. Monday. If that doesn’t happen, “peaceful, law-abiding, political direct action” will be taken, it says.
The petition is on change.org at goo.gl/Nmr6HG.
