Blight won’t be running in Riverview byelection
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/03/2016 (3845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After some soul-searching, former city councillor Murray Blight has decided to drop out of the race for the Riverview ward seat.
“I was encouraged when getting phone calls from residents in the ward/outside the ward about running in the byelection,” Blight said on Wednesday. “My interest was certainly there, my determination and adrenalin, I mean they were all there.”
The 64-year-old retired police officer said he has instead decided to focus on travelling with family, continue work with Protelec Alarms and spend more time at his Clear Lake home.
Blight served three terms on city council and resigned after the 2010-14 term. In early February, he expressed interest in running for the seat, as he had the urge to get back into political life.
“I could hit the floor running, I … haven’t been out of the game that long,” he said. “I’ve been watching, listening to what’s transpired in Brandon. I’m a Brandonite, I want to see things developed.”
So far, the only other candidate is Tyson Tame, a real estate adviser/partner with Royal LePage. He announced last week he will vie for the seat in the May byelection. Tame was runner-up to Coun. Vanessa Hamilton by just 49 votes in the 2014 election. He previously told The Brandon Sun he wants to finish what he set out to do in 2014.
“I just think they need really solid representation,” he said. “I think the Riverview ward needs a solid negotiator, and that’s what I feel I bring to the table.”
Blight said he will be supporting Tame, although he hopes there is more than one candidate coming forward.
“He’s the only one right now. I haven’t heard anything from anybody else so time will tell,” Blight said. “If he’s the only one, it’ll save the taxpayers a considerable amount of money … but you’d like to see more involvement. How do we get people motivated into political work?”
Hamilton will resign her council seat tomorrow as she runs provincially for the Liberals in Brandon East, and the campaign period will begin March 22. The nomination period will be April 6 to April 12, followed by the byelection on May 18. The estimated cost of the byelection is $12,000 to $15,000.
If Tame is the only candidate following the nomination period, he will be acclaimed and become Riverview councillor-elect.
“We wouldn’t have to go through the process of a byelection,” said city clerk Heather Ewasiuk.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @jillianaustin