Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers says she is planning on running for a second term.
The incumbent answered “yes” when asked if she planned to run for a second term by an attendee at the Sechelt and District Chamber of Commerce AGM held on March 31 at the Blue Ocean Golf Course restaurant. The mayor was the guest speaker at the event, which was attended by about 30 people.
She did not mention her plans during her address, but in the question session that followed, said she had given the subject of another term in office some thought and has decided that she would put her name forward. She stated that it was not a simple decision, as her time as the municipal council’s leader has been trying for her, especially due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Siegers was elected as mayor in 2018, after serving two terms as a councillor. In the most recent local government elections, she defeated incumbent Bruce Milne, who had returned to office to serve a third term as mayor in 2014. In her address to the Chamber, Siegers spoke to the need for individuals to step forward to serve in local government elected positions in the next election which is scheduled for Oct. 15. She stated that a ‘campaign school’ is being organized for those interested in running and would be hosted in April.
She also highlighted the current work of the municipality in the areas of increasing the supply of rental accommodation, support for working parents through efforts to train more childcare workers and to expand the number of spaces available through an application to establish a new childcare centre in the downtown area, and initiatives to build on investment attraction for Sechelt and the Coast.
