A Saanich entrepreneur has ruled out running in the 2018 municipal election, but wonB次元官网网址檛 close the door on future runs.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 saying no, but IB次元官网网址檓 not saying never,B次元官网网址� said John Wilson, president, chief executive and principal owner of the WilsonB次元官网网址檚 Group of Companies. B次元官网网址淚t just donB次元官网网址檛 make sense at this stage in my career right now to run. But IB次元官网网址檓 certainly willing to put my name forward in the future.B次元官网网址�

Wilson, who holds a long list of professional awards and currently serves as vice-president of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, made these comments in an interview in which he discussed the upcoming municipal election and budget talks among other issues.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 love to [run], and I have been asked in both Saanich and Victoria by business-people to run for various positions,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎t this point in my career, our company is at a point, where it still needs me.B次元官网网址�

This said, Wilson believe council would benefit from fresh views.

B次元官网网址淚 think we have some staleness on council, not just Saanich,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 know Mayor [Richard] Atwell has talked about a little bit of a change on council in Saanich. That can be easily fixed.B次元官网网址�

The remedy? Term limits that would limit councillors to two four-year-terms.

B次元官网网址淵our family is your life, your job is your income, and being a councillor or in municipal politics, should be your community service,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd it has turned into peoplesB次元官网网址� jobs. We have to get away from that.B次元官网网址�

Wilson believes that the professionalization of politics has changed political decision making, with personal political calculations trumping community interests, said Wilson, who would also like to see more entrepreneurial perspectives.

B次元官网网址淭he politicians, who are in place, I donB次元官网网址檛 think they are bad people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think their heart is in the right place. There is some staleness. The job has become so enormous, that there are may be some people, who donB次元官网网址檛 have the aptitude or skill set to make multi-million dollar decisions that they need to make.B次元官网网址�

Wilson stressed he does not want to see a council full of entrepreneurs. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not saying that we all need business people,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut we need a little bit more that view point and skill set to help with some of the things I just mentioned.B次元官网网址�

They include among other housing, transportation, governance and public safety.

Wilson B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� said council has taken some positive steps towards addressing the issue, pointing towards SaanichB次元官网网址檚 decision to .

Garden suites are detached dwellings found in backyards of single-family homes. While they tend to be at the B次元官网网址渉igher end of the housing affordability spectrum,B次元官网网址� they expand B次元官网网址渉ousing choice, offer potential for ground-oriented family housing within established neighbourhoods, and provide other social benefits such as the opportunity to age-in-place,B次元官网网址� said Pam Hartling, planner, in a memo to council, when Saanich approved the initiative.

He also praised SaanichB次元官网网址檚 leadership on issues such as amalgamation and the creation of a regional police force.

Wilson would also like to see municipalities including Saanich improve public safety. B次元官网网址淰ictoria has more of a concern around safety than Saanich, but I do feel it flowing into our community as well,B次元官网网址� he said.

Wilson here also speaks from personal experience.

B次元官网网址淥ne of our vehicles got stolen right off our property last week,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t was found downtown with a guy sleeping in it.B次元官网网址�