I attended your well organized all-candidates meeting. The two main mayoralty candidates, Paul Reitsma and ChrisBurger, who are both fine gentlemen, have totally different styles.
Mr. Burger is long on motherhood and apple pie but short on crisp and concise answers and basically has no platform nor vision for the future.
It was revealing he admitted he was one of the councillors who totally ignored the wishes of citizens and changed Parksville forever by voting for the waterfront development in 2003.
He said nothing about keeping taxes down and ending the wasteful studies and hiring consultants. We have no idea how much our taxes will go up with Mr. Burger in charge.
Mr. Reitsma is short on words and long on action (Just check his long record of achievements/decisions and community involvement) with a crisp and concise platform.
We all remember he saved the ecologically sensitive estuary by voting against a significant development in 1990 on the Flats.
He is the only candidate who clearly opposed any change to waterfront height as currently permitted under the OCP.
I do not oppose development at all but I oppose fast-tracking and blatantly ignoring the principles of the OCP bylaws.
Ron Thierry, Parksville
