Mayor Lisa Helps announced today that she intends to run for a second term in the fall 2018 municipal election.
Helps addressed the media in her office after hosting the annual New YearB次元官网网址檚 Day Levee at city hall.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a real pleasure for the last three years to work on behalf of, and alongside our community,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got an amazing community and so itB次元官网网址檚 for that reason that IB次元官网网址檝e decided to run for election in 2018, for one more term.B次元官网网址�
While the mayor made it clear this was not the official launch of her campaign, she wanted to honour a promise she made to constituents that she would reveal her plans on the first day of 2018.
B次元官网网址 from today as announces another run for mayor in #2018 Listen to what she has in store here:
B次元官网网址� Victoria B次元官网网址 (@VictoriaB次元官网网址)
Looking to the election, the mayor said the key issue this time around will be the future and hopefully not just bike lanes.
ItB次元官网网址檚 no secret Victorians are polarized on the issue of bike lanes, infrastructure Helps has prioritized since taking office in Dec. 2014. She said, itB次元官网网址檚 not about getting people out of cars who want to drive but about providing more transportation choices.
In the next ten to 15 years, Helps estimates close to 10,000 more people will call downtown Victoria home. B次元官网网址淚f each one of those people feels compelled to bring a car because they donB次元官网网址檛 have another way to get around, weB次元官网网址檙e going to have instant gridlock and increase our greenhouse gas emissions.B次元官网网址�
Affordability, sustainability, transportation, and transit will be the focus of the fall election: B次元官网网址淎ll those things that we want to live well in a city in the 21st century.B次元官网网址�
That includes regional transit to the West Shore, something Helps said if not done, will leave the region behind in terms of proper growth.
In terms of affordable housing, Helps said for the first time ever, there is both money and plans in place.
The Victoria Housing Strategy, a ten-year plan to increase the development of rental housing runs until 2025; the Regional Housing First program B次元官网网址� currently a $60 million project that could see up to 2,000 units of mostly below-market housing B次元官网网址� is also moving forward.
One of the biggest challenges the mayor said she and council faced this term, was the fact that no affordable or rental housing had been built in Victoria for over 30 years.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e playing catch-up,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 agree itB次元官网网址檚 a big issue.B次元官网网址�
When Helps launches her campaign this summer, the goal will be to build a platform alongside the community. Ideas and input from residents are essential, she said, to make sure the plan put forward for the next four years meets the needs of Victorians.
B次元官网网址淰ictoria is an amazing place,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淥ur community is rich with ideas, rich with potential and my job as mayor is to really unleash that potential.B次元官网网址�
For more from the announcement at city hall today, check out our .
