Two of his colleagues aren’t running again. A third passed away in office.
So even if Brian Quiring is successful in gaining a third straight term as Vernon councillor — and the veteran politician has filed his nomination papers — it will be a new-look council table he’ll be sitting with come Nov. 1.
And Quiring is fine with that.
“I look forward to some new blood. Change is always a good thing,” said Quiring, 55, who runs an architectural firm. “But I do feel we needed to have some consistency moving forward both with the city and (Regional District of North Okanagan) RDNO.”
Quiring and Mayor Akbal Mund are city representatives to the RDNO board, along with Catherine Lord and Juliette Cunningham, who both announced they will not seek re-election.
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Coun. Dalvir Nahal has said she will run again while Scott Anderson has yet to publicly declare his intentions for the Oct. 20 ballot. One seat has to be filled following the death in office in June of Coun. Bob Spiers.
For Quiring, the decision to seek a third term was a hard one as he debated committing to another four years.
“I really had to think about it, it’s a long time, no doubt about it,” said Quiring of the four-year council terms. “You start to get worn down in your last year (of the term), and you know it’s an election year. I personally preferred the three-year term. I’m 55 and this will take me closer to retirement.”
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Since being elected, Quiring’s focus on council has been economic development.
He’s been working with staff to change the city’s current zoning bylaws in terms of new trends in housing, like changing the density calculation from per unit to a floor area ratio calculation that allows people to provide smaller housing unit.
“We’ve had fantastic economic development,” he said. “I’d love to see us get the cultural centre through (referendum on the Oct. 20 ballot for Greater Vernon) and I’d like to see a pool. In order for some of these things to actually occur, we need continued growth. Vernon was named fifth-fastest growing community in B.C. We need to capitalize on the momentum we have here.”
Quiring feels the city’s parking bylaws are antiquated and wants to make them more current.
“This is what I like to do, the part of being a councillor that I enjoy, digging into these land zoning issues,” he said. “I feel I still have something to contribute in that area.”
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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