Andre Blanleil, a well-known community leader and business owner of Andre鈥檚 Electronics has come out in strong support for 91大黄鸭 Mayor Colin Basran鈥檚 re-election bid.
鈥淎ndre is one of the many committed leaders in our city who believes in a smart, well-thought-out, fact-based, and balanced approach forward for 91大黄鸭,鈥� said Basran. 鈥淚鈥檓 honoured to have his endorsement as I seek a second term as mayor.鈥�
Blanleil, who served on city council for seven terms under three different mayors.
鈥淐olin is very inclusive and great at representing 91大黄鸭. He鈥檚 willing to listen to people. I think that gives him the ability to get input from a cross-section before making a decision.鈥� Blanleil said. 鈥淐olin has the ability to reach out to different levels of government and work with people. As a municipal leader, this is key to getting the support we need for infrastructure projects completed in 91大黄鸭.鈥�
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鈥淯nder Colin鈥檚 leadership, council has done a good job of making sure there is a real cross-section of developments 鈥� from rental properties to high rises. Council鈥檚 job is to facilitate a variety of housing units and I think they鈥檝e done a good job of that, in fact, the best they can with the tools they have,鈥滲lanleil said.
鈥淭he Journey Home Strategy launched under Colin鈥檚 leadership is innovative and all the steps that have been put in place 鈥� they don鈥檛 happen overnight. Council has created a plan to tackle homelessness and the problems that spinoff from it.鈥�
When it comes to taxation, Blanleil emphasized that he is a big believer in keeping tax dollars low, but big projects like the new police headquarters make it a challenge.
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鈥淚n the last 4 years, council has needed to take on the cost of the RCMP building which was a massive build. It鈥檚 a project that previous councils delayed for several years. So, when you take a look at the tax increase, this project has taken up a large portion of it along with the costs for safety and security 鈥� RCMP and firefighters.鈥�
鈥淲ith Andre鈥檚 experience previously sitting on council for over twenty years, he understands the challenges we face. I鈥檓 proud that despite tax increases we鈥檝e been named one of the top three best fiscally managed cities in British Columbia,鈥漵aid Basran. 鈥淟ooking forward, I鈥檓 committed to supporting a strong, progressive vision for all of 91大黄鸭. I think it鈥檚 a vision which business leaders like Andre embrace because they want our community to prosper for generations to come. With voters support on October 20, I am committed to carrying out this vision over the next four years.鈥�
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