Mark Chandler has announced his candidacy for City of Parksville councillor.
In a press release, Chandler states, “I support affordable multi-family housing developments which would alleviate pressure from the current housing crisis and be a real asset to our community. My ideas may be unconventional but very effective and easy to implement. BC housing is projecting strong spending in the next 10 years so Parksville should implement subsidized family based housing ideas in our mandate to attract new families and offer options to keep our young families within our community.”
Chandler is a 12-year Parksville resident, who has been conducting business in the region for 35 years.
He has 19 years of ownership in three local business interests, and has been a volunteer firefighter in Parksville since 2012.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, Chandler says his voice will echo the communities concern regarding budgetary spending and accountability.
“Money sense must be combined with all spending decisions so we can accomplish all future goals and have the greatest impact.
“I am representative of my district and will work towards doing the right thing versus bowing to civic pressure and voting with the crowd,” he said.
In regards to family and seniors prosperity, Chandler says his goal is to support the investment of a seniors’ activity centre with the potential addition of affordable housing element.
“Our community is comprised of a large number of retirees and creating a more inclusive and interactive social centre is better for all.
“We also need to consider how to expand more ‘living wage’ jobs with a focus on industrial and trade sectors for our families. Creating a flourishing community requires us to look at our multifaceted needs.”
For economic growth, Chandler said his focus is “to sustain and grow our local economy.”
“I am a local business owner and I feel we have an opportunity to preserve our local dollars within our community by expanding our downtown core and showcasing the large number of retail shops throughout the entire Oceanside region.
“We need to put our money where our priorities lie,” he said.
On the topic of crime prevention, Chandler said public safety is of utmost importance.
“Diverting funds towards enforcement of municipal bylaws, provincial laws and crime prevention programs will start addressing many of the core issues facing Parksville. By increasing the number of officers we will hold prolific offenders accountable and take control of the recent spike in property crime,” he said.
— Submitted by Mark Chandler