Longtime council watcher Aird Flavelle wants a seat at the table.
He has announced he will run for Abbotsford council in the municipal election on Nov. 15.
Flavelle is owner of MSA Computers, and an avid volunteer with restorative justice, the Hospice Society, Rotary and in his church.
He has attended most council and police board meetings over the past five years, and says his attendance record would rival that of most councillors. He also ran for a seat in the last municipal election.
Flavelle holds some strong opinions about local issues. For example, he says with the city’s average daily water use rates being less than half of what is available, there is no reason for council to spend $400 million or more upgrading the water supply at this time.
“At a bare minimum, we could put it off for 10 years,” he asserts.
He calls Police Chief Bob Rich “a community hero” for the way he has tackled violent crime, but says property crime is still too high, and the city must deal with mentally ill and drug-addicted street people who are chronic offenders.
And, he said municipal taxes keep rising, and will for the foreseeable future, unless changes are made.
“I would like to see some reins on the system,” he said.
Flavelle suggests tax increases be limited to the rate of inflation, unless they are raised through referendum.
“Abbotsford is a wonderful, wonderful place. Council has done a good job, but we can still do better.”