Central Saanich voters will be voting to fill six council seats of the eight candidates up for election, while the mayor and school trustee seats are acclaimed.
In Central Saanich only Ryan Windsor, the incumbent mayor, put his name forward for the position, and only two candidates put their names forward for the two school trustee seats. He is one of 11 Island mayors running unopposed.
Tim Dunford, an incumbent trustee, and Susan Hickman are the two new trustees for Central Saanich for the Saanich School District.
The municipal election general voting day is on Oct. 15, and Central Saanich will hold advance voting days on Oct. 5 and 12.
Advanced voting will be at the Central Saanich Municipal Hall, general voting day will have three voting locations at Central Saanich Municipal Hall, Keating Elementary, and Cultural Centre.
In the 2018 election, Central Saanich had a 33 per cent voter turnout with 5,059 ballots cast.
Eight candidates for council for six seats
There are eight people who have put their names forward to run to be a councillor in Central Saanich. Five of them are incumbents who served on the previous council.
Christopher Graham, Zeb King, Gord Newton, Niall Paltiel, and Bob Thompson are seeking re-election.
Geoff Krause, Jackie Lee, and Sarah Riddell are hoping to be elected to Central Saanich council for the first time.
You can click on each of their names to take you to the section of the page with a brief overview of their positions, presented below in alphabetical order.
Christopher Graham
Graham was first elected to council in 1996 and has been re-elected five times since. He served as the chair of the public works and transportation committee, and has served on several other municipal, CRD or community boards including Regional Water Supply Commission, Civil Emergency Executive Committee, and Parcel Tax Review Panel.
If re-elected, he hopes to continue working on the Keating Revitalization, improve highway access and traffic safety, preserve rural and farm lands, and ensure careful fiscal management and economic growth.
In the 2018 election, Graham received the third-most votes of council candidates with 3,052.
Graham‘s campaign website is not yet publicly accessible.
Zeb King
King was first elected in 2002 then was re-elected four times since. He has a master of public administration from UVic and is a doctoral candidate at Royal Roads Univeristy. He has worked for the Ministry of Health for 13 years in Health Human Resources with the Allied Health file.
If elected, he hopes to protect famland by maintaining the Urban Containment Boundary to prevent urban sprawl, lead an age-friendly community strategy, encourage citizen involvement, continue to build relationships with First Nations, protect the environment with a climate action plan and enhancing transportation options, and keeping taxes low.
In 2018, King received the second-most votes with 3,306.
King’s website can be found here.
Geoff Krause
Krause is a consulting biologist and has been working with the Pacific Urchin and Sea Cucumber Harvester associations for the past couple of decades on international marketing.
If elected, he hopes to address issues with moorings and boats in Brentwood Bay, light and other types of pollutions with the aquaponics facility going in at Wallace and Stellys, resolutions to the housing shortage, and issues and possible opportunities for the senior population in the municipality.
Jackie Lee
Lee was previously a school trustee in Alberta.
Her priorities are preserving the rural character of the community, supporting and enhancing the Saanich Peninsula Hospital, improving inclusion and accessibility, advocating for small businesses, addressing affordable housing, and promoting climate initiatives.
Lee’s website can be found here.
Gord Newton
Newton was first elected in the previous election. He has served on the Saanich Peninsula Literacy Taskforce, Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Victoria Airport Authority Consultative Committee, and Victoria Airport Authority Noise Management Committee.
His priorities if re-elected include addressing housing, supporting climate action and active transportation, growing the Keating Industrial Park, addressing the health care shortage, supporting and preserving agriculture, and prudent fiscal management.
In 2018, Newton received the sixth-most votes with 2,855.
Newton’s campaign website can be found here.
Niall Paltiel
Paltiel was first elected to Central Saanich council in 2014, then re-elected in the 2018 election. On Council, he serves on the Peninsula Recreation Commission, as council liaison to the Peninsula and Area Agricultural Commission, council representative to the South Island Prosperity Partnership, and member of the Official Community Plan committee.
His priorities are improving safety with road improvements and support for emergency services, addressing affordability, and investing in a high quality of life for residents through protecting agricultural and environmentally sensitive land and improving parks, trails and recreation.
In 2018, Paltiel received the most votes with 3,697.
Paltiel’s website can be found here.
Sarah Riddell
Riddell is a director with the Ministry of Health and has two masters degrees in public administration and health administration.
Her priorities are investing in road safety and active transportation, improving health and community services, housing affordability, growing parks and trails, and supporting local businesses and farmers.
Riddell’s website can be found here.
Bob Thompson
Thompson was first elected in 2003, then again in 2014 and 2018. He has served as chair of the Official Community Plan Advisory Commission and was a member of the Capital Regional District Regional Housing Trust Fund Commission and Greater Victoria Public Library Board.
His goals for Central Saanich are to update the Official Community Plan, support farmers and protect the ALR, build a safe community travel network, build housing that respects neighbourhood character, make responsible financial decisions, continue to build positive relationships with First Nations communities, and seek ways to ease the health care crisis.
In 2018, he received the fourth-most votes with 2,976.
Laura Brougham
