Strathcona Regional District Director Jim Abram has been re-elected to the executive of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).
Abram, director for electoral Area C, was up against eight other nominees from across B.C. vying to fill five seats. The election took place during last week’s UBCM convention – an annual gathering of local government officials which, this year, took place in Victoria.
“I was very, very fortunate,” Abram said. “It took five days of campaigning and trying to convince people that I was a good person to elect. Now I’m back on and I will be able to partake in all the good things UBCM will do in the next year, which is an election year.”
Abram, who will serve as a director-at-large, said it will be an important year for the executive which is tasked with ensuring the wishes of the UBCM membership are parlayed to the next provincial government.
Abram, who was first elected to local government in 1988, served the past year on the UBCM executive after running successfully in September of 2015. It was a comeback of sorts for Abram who had served a 10-year stint on the executive up until 2001. From 2000-2001 he served as president.
Abram said he was pleased to secure his spot on the executive for at least one more year.
“I feel really honoured,” said Abram, noting roughly 1,500 delegates attended the UBCM convention and put in a vote. “I feel there’s a lot more work ahead of me but it’s worth it.”
UBCM is the only province-wide lobby organization for local governments to discuss common issues and advocate various positions to the provincial and federal governments.
Abram said that being on the executive affords him the opportunity to put forward issues of local concern at the UBCM table and to the province.
“It’s a really good thing as far as I’m concerned and I’ve very proud to be a member of the UBCM executive.”
Abram is also vice-chair of the Strathcona Regional District Board and serves on a number of committees including the DFO Finfish Advisory Committee, the B.C. Ferries Coastal Regional District Chair Group, and the Marine Planning Partnership MaPP Committee.
