"The job is not finished yet."
That's the pledge of current Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie, after he officially staked his claim for a fourth full term as head of council in the upcoming fall civic election.
Brodie said he has no intention of handing in the chain of office just yet and can't think of any reason, for the time being anyway, why he would.
"I've been mayor for ten years and I've enjoyed the challenge and I believe -- with my experience, not just as mayor, but being Metro Vancouver committee chair and my experience with TransLink -- I still have something to offer," he told the News.
"The job is not finished and I have no idea what would motivate me to call it a day."
With just over a week to go before the official nomination window opens for the Nov. 19 election, there are no obvious candidates circling for a shot at Brodie's title.
Indeed, the mayor has pretty much had it all his own in recent elections, winning comfortably each time.
Brodie, however, has no thoughts, one way or the other, as to the caliber of any would-be mayoral hopefuls this time around.
"I haven't heard of anyone coming forward as yet," he said.
"And I can't determine whether there will be a serious challenger or not."
Aside from whom he might face on Nov. 19, Brodie is ready to confront the difficult questions expected to be posed by the voting public as the election draws near, not least the ever thorny property tax increase.
"I can't promise the day when taxes will be zero," he said.
"We've worked very hard to keep property taxes down and we have to be cautious with our finances. "What is always forgotten is that half the amount we're asking for is for other organizations, such as Metro Vancouver and the school board.
"All of those are things that we just have to levy and collect, we have little or no control over."
