LoRegio steps down from council

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This article was published 02/02/2021 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Coun. John LoRegio (Meadows-Waverly) has resigned from Brandon City Council effective Jan. 31, saying in a statement that health issues are preventing him from putting his full attention on council matters.

Reached by phone on Monday, LoRegio told the Sun he has been battling multiple myeloma cancer and has been at the Brandon Regional Health Centre since August last year. In recent months, LoRegio has been making appearances at council by telephone or video call.

He said his cancer was treatable but not curable. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of a type of white blood cells called plasma cells that frequently affects the body’s bone marrow. However, treatment has been going well, LoRegio said.

The reason he chose Sunday as his resignation date was because he wanted to get through this year’s city budget process before stepping down. The councillor had participated in budget deliberations by calling into proceedings by phone to propose amendments and break tie votes when necessary.

Asked what his favourite part of working on council was, LoRegio said he relished working with his colleagues to solve problems for the city as part of a team effort like the yearly budgeting process.

“It was being part of a team that kept the taxes down,” he said. “No one individual can take the credit for that. It was a team accomplishment.”

He also enjoyed resolving the problems of people in his ward, saying they were usually successful in finding a solution.

“It’s pretty satisfying saying to a resident ‘Yep, this issue has been resolved in your favour,’” he said.

While he was disappointed that the long-proposed outdoor sports complex at First Street and Veterans Way had not been built during his tenure on council, LoRegio was pleased that the approved 2021 budget included authorization of a $6-million debenture for the first phase of the project.

“I have been arguing to get it started since year one after the flood to end all floods,” said LoRegio. “Literally thousands of people who use the soccer fields will use the outdoor Sportsplex. It’s an economic magnet for outdoor tournaments here all summer, so we definitely need to see it built as soon as possible.”

LoRegio has represented Meadows-Waverly since 2013, when the former city hall reporter for CKLQ came out on top in a byelection to replace former Progressive Conservative MLA Jim McCrae, who had departed Brandon to take a job in Winnipeg as a citizenship judge.

“They represent the city,” LoRegio said about the residents of his ward. “Every facet of life and economic scale can be found in Meadows-Waverly. It’s a good mix for the city.”

When COVID-19 is over, he said he’d like to spend more time with his family and visit his grandchildren on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

He hopes his successor on council listens to the needs and concerns of the ward, though he said he would not be making any endorsements just as he had never made any endorsements while working as a journalist.

“My time on council was satisfying. It was disappointing at times, frustrating, but in the end it was a great experience and I would encourage anyone who is thinking of running for council to go ahead and do it,” he said.

Mayor Rick Chrest praised LoRegio’s tenure on council.

“I’m not thrilled to get his resignation, but I fully respect the situation he’s in and the decision he’s had to make,” said Chrest. “He’s been an ardent voice for his ward all the time that he’s been (on council). He’s an extremely loyal representative of ward issues. When people did call him, he did a superb job of dealing with their individual issues as well as big-picture things we deal with. He always came well prepared and certainly wasn’t shy to express his opinion and provide his contributions.

“He’ll certainly be missed at the council table and we sure wish him all the best in coming back full health.”

Coun. Shaun Cameron (University), who sat next to LoRegio for his first year on council after being elected in 2018, said the veteran councillor set a good example for him.

“John was always a consummate professional in how he approached the role,” said Cameron. “He always had the needs of his residents at his heart and I think really spoke from the heart on a lot of issues. At times he asked some difficult questions and he was really able to get to the roots of issues for his residents, which I think will definitely be missed there.”

Because more than 12 months are left before the next set of municipal elections, the city will be required by law to call a byelection to fill the vacancy left by LoRegio’s departure.

The city did not provide a timetable for this process on Monday, but the mayor recommended that those interested in running start thinking about their candidacy.

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