Step right up and let your name stand.

[XT225]

This is interesting, a chap in Osoyoos who was going to run for council backs out of the race after just discovering (what planet has been living on?) that he doesn't live inside city boundaries? I don't think that Jason Cox lives inside Penticton, nor does Julius Bloomfield; that hasn't stopped them (both live in Naramata). Now, I do believe that you CAN run if you live outside as long as you own a business in the town that you are running in. You would think they would have told this fellow in Osoyoos when he applied that he didn't qualify.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#237470

[XT225]

Cox is done like dinner. He is a “want a be” . Mayor is the Chair of the Council and one of seven votes on decisions. Based on what Cox has said in the press he is all about “I” and “me”... he has no EXPERIENCE in Municipal Government. Don’t waste your vote.
It is a two man race for Mayor , Jak vs Vass. Wow ,that is sad if you think about it. Dinosaur retread vs Incumbent Mayor who had a 19% approval rating 60 % of the time thru his term as Mayor. With all the uproar over the last 4 years with this Council you would think a few of the big mouths that write into the Hearld ( many weekly ) would have given a run at it. I guess it is easier to throw rocks and complain than actually stepping up and trying to do something positive for the community.
So Vass gets the seniors vote ( spend nothing and do nothing without a referendum Agenda ) and Jak gets the vote from most of the non bof’s.
It will be all about voter turnout and how Little Joe and Miller (the man who seems to have the answer to everything) influence the entire process. No impartiality from the Hearld. They are clearly anti Jak and pro the blue-hair vote. After all they have to pander to the people that buy the Penticton Enquirer and live for its delivery daily ( almost daily ).
Jak is actually the best bet. He wants what is best for all the citizens of Penticton and has learned the hard way to get input from the citizens on big decisions relating to the City.
Get some popcorn, it will be entertaining.

What is unfortunate (for him; not us) is that folks like Jason Cox will now most likely miss getting on city council for the next four years at least, plus he missed the last four because he screwed up on the forms and was disqualified. If he had run for council, he might just make it. He is presently still way behind in the poll at third place.

Then we have a latecomer James Blake, with no political experience whatsoever (theatre manager) trying for the top job. Again, a waste of time; should have gone for council. Whats with some of these folks who think they can just jump over the normal stepping stones and THEN moving up after gaining experience in the city. There's little question that it will come down to a two person race between Jak and Vass. Sure Cox will steal some votes but not nearly enough.

Note: at least James Blake is beating out Jukka Laurio in the Poll...lol.

[seewood]

Ashton lived in Trout Creek.

If you own property in town, you qualify to run.

[XT225]

Ashton lived in Trout Creek.

If you own property in town, you qualify to run.

You are correct. However, you would think that folks would KNOW or be told when they apply of these rules. Maybe they don't read.

[Drip_Torch]

This is interesting, a chap in Osoyoos who was going to run for council backs out of the race after just discovering (what planet has been living on?) that he doesn't live inside city boundaries? I don't think that Jason Cox lives inside Penticton, nor does Julius Bloomfield; that hasn't stopped them (both live in Naramata). Now, I do believe that you CAN run if you live outside as long as you own a business in the town that you are running in. You would think they would have told this fellow in Osoyoos when he applied that he didn't qualify.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#237470

He's qualified, just not interested...

To be eligible to run for local government office in a general local election or a by-election, a person must have been a resident of B.C. at least six months before filing their nomination documents. They do not have to live or own property in the area where they are running for office.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/gove ... cal-office

Apparently, before he signed his nomination papers, he wasn't even interested enough to research whether or not he'd have a reason to be interested...

[jinx1984]

Well jinx1984 you obviously do not understand the difference between the Chairing ( Mayor ) of a Municipality vs a not for profit or a corporate organization. Under BC - Laws, Municipalities ( ex. Vancouver, they have there own charter) are governed by the Community Charter which sets out very specific rules and procedures under which Municipalities must govern themselves.

In 2011, it was very evident that Mr. Cox did not understand the Community Charter when he failed to file financial disclosure statements for the 2011 civic election which he was a candidate and was therefore disqualified for the 2014 election.

In fact I do understand the difference between the Chairing of a Municipality vs a not for profit. The rules are different, but the governance model is the same. Also, Mr. Cox has addressed the non filing issue with the press and will likely have to do so again tonight at the forum. He has served his sentence, so to speak. I'll be watching tonight to see if it's brought up and if he owns his mistake and what lesson he's learned.

[Chessman]

jinx1984, Obviously we disagree. In the end the voters will decide who will be Mayor. My wager is that it will not be Cox.
If Cox remembers to file the necessary paperwork after this election then perhaps in 2022 he can run for Council and potentially prove to the citizens of Penticton he has what it takes to be Mayor .

[JagXKR]

Jukka is such a model citizen.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... r-pot-shop


Very mayoral.

I hope he gets less votes than last time, much less.

[WalterWhite]

Jukka is such a model citizen.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... r-pot-shop


Very mayoral.

I hope he gets less votes than last time, much less.

You've got Jukka - we've got Kennedy.

https://bobbykennedy.ca/pages/capitalizing-on-cannabis

[southy]

Very interesting at last nights mayoral forum … https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#237627
Jason Cox going after Jak. This will definitely help Vass in the long run. If Cox keeps up his attack on Jak I suspect Jak will break somewhere and we'll have a really good show.

[Darkre]

Very interesting at last nights mayoral forum … https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#237627
Jason Cox going after Jak. This will definitely help Vass in the long run. If Cox keeps up his attack on Jak I suspect Jak will break somewhere and we'll have a really good show.

Cox came across as the most passionate and was well informed about the issues. If he had council experience I think he might even be the favourite for mayor after last night. If he can continue to show well, and pivots to atracking Vas, he could pull a significant portion of the “anyone but Jakubeit” vote. After all if a guy with no political experience can become president of the USA then surely Penticton could survive with a mayor that has been involved in local community groups and committees but has no council experience.

Vas seemed a little flat, I expected a bit more from him. Touching on the Paul Braun issue was a mistake. You can’t on one hand say the city has been doing nothing for 3.5 years to fight the issues downtown then on the other say that enforcing the bylaws, through the final resort of lawsuit, to gain compliance is wrong.

Jakubeit was weak when he said he wished the Police Chief would be tougher on crime. As Mayor he should be telling the Chief what to do and if the Chief doesn’t want to do it that way then he can go find a new job.

[Chessman]

Just finished listening to the Mayor Forum last night.
Thank you to Peach City Radio for providing the audio of the event.
I must say I was concerned that none of the candidates provided me with any hope that they have solutions for the CRIME ISSUE IN PENTICTON. A lot of platitudes but nothing substantial except the obvious references to the need for housing for the homeless....BUT NOTHING ON CRIME !
So what about the six candidates?
The Second Tier (3 individuals without any obvious experiences that can be projected to being City Mayor )
While I appreciate the fact they are running they offer nothing that the City needs in a Mayor.
The Top Teir ( Jak,Vass and Cox )- those that are the only obvious contenders.
Jak: handled the tough questions well.Now has a lot of experience and will be able to work collectively and collboraterately with Council (at least 3 new Council members and hopefully 4 Council members.. Sentes has to go). Knows the issues and now does and will listen to the citizens. Having his experience as Mayor is actually valuable vs the two others who are risky given they are unproven and perhaps unprepared to lead and work constructively with 6 Councillors.
Vass: While he was passionate and many seniors will vote for him he is not the right choice. Unfortunately we know his history of Council decisions and approaches and that is not what the City needs. His focus on Community Prosperity by leasing City land for industrial purposes is a at a minimum a stretch and negotiating with the PIB to influence/force them to allow more industrial development is a non starter. PIB leadership is mess and Chief Chad will not turn over more land for industrial purposes, in fact he wants to do the opposite by returning lands to there natural state. I guess Vass doesn’t read the papers and has no understanding of what is going on on the other side of the channel but he is going to tell them what to do.Ya Ok .
Cox: He did do better than I anticipated however he is extremely naive. His answers and platform on crime were weak. He provided little or no evidence he can “lead” the Council as a Mayor to get things done based on no past demonstration of leadership success in other roles while tackling difficult situations . He only states he was re-elected to the Chamber Board 13 times . Getting elected vs leading others for improvement ,success and getting things done is another matter.

Final thought: I believe turnout for this election will be higher than past elections but vote splitting will be a risk.
The worst possible Mayor from the 3 legitimate candidates is Vass. He will set this City back from an era of increased vibrancy and improvement on many fronts over the last 4 to 5 years. Vass will saddle the City with his same old antics and his timetrusted approaches.He will not change his ways. As a Counilor he had the benefit of voting on issues based on the desires of the citizens that voted for him (seniors) and those desires being zero or low tax increases and limiting change. As Mayor he would need to represent all citizens not just the seniors. He does not have solutions for crime or for enhanced community prosperity.
It has to be either Jak or Cox for Mayor but they can not split the non Vass vote and allow Vass to win. My slight preference remains Jak but it may have to be Cox...just not Vass.

[southy]

Thanks for your view on the forum and candidates, however, I tend to disagree with your opinion regarding Jak. I'm not convinced he has learned from his misfortunes over the past four years. This past year in particular I have noticed that his public verbage about issues has improved, but I credit that more to Peter Weeber and the new communications person. Jak is still Jak. Vass? I really do believe the experience Vass has had on council positions him well to become mayor. He understands the processes. I also believe he has gained some insight since his time on council. If elected, and I do believe he will be, you will see a Vass who truly does listen, someone who understands the issues of today, someone who has vision to see beyond today and someone who wants only the best for the residents of the city of Penticton.

As far as Jason Cox. The more I watch and listen the more I think that perhaps in his heart he wants to be a politician, yet there is something that screams at me … no. Being a politician takes learning and sorry but just because he was someone within the Chamber of Commerce does not make him someone who has earned experience and knowledge to become this cities next mayor.

I do agree Sentes has to go. Fresh eyes and minds are needed on council. There are some very good people who have put their name forward and hopefully we will see a major positive change. Time will tell.

[Drip_Torch]

I understand peach city radio has the audio from last night, but I just found this online for those that would prefer to watch.



Oh and PS: My Choice for mayor will definitely have a set of initials that includes the letter "J".

[Chessman]

Hey ...What happened to Max Picton when questioned at the Candidate Forum ....he drew a blank ( was given two chances to respond )and could not answer about the shared services examples and success.The question was about a committee/project he had referenced in his successes as a Councillor and was working on it ?
Was he not paying attention or did not attend or should be reminded that pot isn’t legal for a few more weeks and needs to dial the dosage back?