The election is still five months out, but four candidates have so far declared their inetntion to take a run at the mayoral seat.
The latest, Sean Leitenberg, plans to run against Rob Duncan, Gary Beyer and incumbent Lisa Helps in the Oct. 20 municipal election.
“We need some good common sense at all levels of city hall,” Leitenberg says.
“We’re not on the right path and that needs to be addressed.”
An HST rebate specialist with Reno Rebate, he doesn’t feel the demands of the business community are being met, or that council doing enough to address affordability in the community where he resides with his wife and nine-year-old son.
HST rebate specialist Sean Leitenberg has announced he will be running for Mayor in Victoria’s next municipal election #yyj #yyjpolitics pic.twitter.com/dqfJQrumW6
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) May 31, 2018
The City needs to engage in “sensible development,” he says, pointing to purpose-built housing, as opposed to approving developments he feels only further drive up market prices.
“Our city must make sure its infrastructure is sound and prepared for the future,” he says.
Improved fiscal responsibility at city hall is one of the benchmarks of his platform; he feels money could be better spent on affordable housing, and to address “mental health issues that end up on our streets.”
Leitenberg plans to make himself available each morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the coffee cart he runs at the corner of Fairfield and Moss streets – close to his Fairfield home – to make direct connections with voters.
“This town really is an amazing place,” he says. “If we don’t properly assess what we’re looking to achieve here than we may end up with a town with vacant condos [made for] people for investment properties.”
kristyn.anthony
