Longtime Abbotsford councillor Moe Gill has announced he will challenge incumbent Henry Braun for the mayor’s chair in this fall’s municipal election.
Moe made the announcement on a new Facebook page Wednesday morning, touting the slogan “Go for Moe.”
Gill, who has served on council since 1996, said in a news release that he wants “to implement an open and transparent vision for Abbotsford – the one we have presently is closed and opaque to all but those that are the most connected with the insiders.”
On Gill’s website, he suggests that the city needs to grow faster than it is currently.
“I’ve watched Abbotsford go through a lot of changes since I first came to this community more than 40 years ago,” he writes on the site. “I believe that the strength of our community lies in the foundation we have built on agriculture and the diversity of cultures, all working together.”
He continued:
“However, I also believe Abbotsford needs to move much faster if we truly want to become the city we plan for. Communities around us are achieving the vibrant development and economic activity that we claim to champion, but we do not yet practice. I have the experience of knowing how government works and the motivation to take Abbotsford to the next level in our city’s growth.”
The News was not able to speak to Gill prior to press time.
Gill garnered the third-most votes for councillor in 2014. Local activist Gerda Peachey and accountant Eric Nyvall have also announced they will be running for the mayor’s seat this fall.
All of Gill’s fellow councillors have said they will be seeking re-election this fall.
Gill, who immigrated to Canada from India in 1955 and has lived in Abbotsford since 1975, has taken a swing at higher office before.
In 2004, he ran to be Abbotsford’s Member of Parliament as the Liberal party candidate. Gill finished a distant second in the race, although no subsequent Liberal candidate matched his 20 per cent of the vote total until Peter Njenga in 2015.
And in 2013, he sought the BC Liberal nomination in Abbotsford South, only for the party to hand the gig to Darryl Plecas. Gill then staged an independent run for a seat in the neighbouring riding of Abbotsford West, but failed to muster enough support.
I'm really looking forward to a team meeting tonight in #Abbotsford! Stay tuned for some big things (& announcements) to come! 😃
— Moe Gill (@Moe_Gill) August 7, 2018
