No matter what happens at next month's civic election, there won't be more than one Halsey-Brandt left standing.
The only namesake left in the candidate pot for the Nov. 19 call is incumbent Evelina Halsey-Brandt after her fellow councillors - husband and former mayor/MLA Greg and his ex-wife Sue - both pulled out of the race at the last minute.
Greg decided to drop out because he was "discouraged" with the state of Richmond city council, and sees no point in running for office in the upcoming civic election.
"City council had gotten too comfortable, and I don't see change coming," said Halsey-Brandt. "I couldn't get anywhere on a number of initiatives," he added. Last election, Greg Halsey-Brandt ran on a platform calling for more scrutiny of city finances, for example.
He wanted council to look at each department's budget and assess expenditures. It wasn't about going in there with an axe, he added. Some programs may have needed beefing up. However, no one on council, apart from his wife Evelina, would support his initiative.
"I'm really not sure why. It would take time, but we used to do it, and how else can we know if we are getting good value?"
Instead, each department's financial total from the previous budget was simply accepted as is, he said.
He has also become frustrated that so much focus has been on big ticket items, such as the oval or the new RCMP headquarters or new fire halls. "These are all good things, but we are forgetting about the little things that impact people's day-to-day lives - like installing a left turning signal at a particular intersection, or playgrounds in the city centre."
Moreover, it is difficult to hold councillors to account on anything, Greg said.
"We used to have a slate on the left and a slate on the right and there would be more accountability, at least you knew what they stood for. This way, it's a mixture, and you can't pin anyone down on anything. It's difficult to run on your record because we did everything as everybody."
While his political frustrations partly explain why he's not seeking re-election, personal interests are also at play. Greg, 68, said he wants to spend more time with his grandkids, boating, traveling and enjoying life as a senior.
Sue, meanwhile, said she agonized right up until the night before Friday's deadline about continuing a 27-year love affair with local politics.
"At the end of the day, I think life is just too short and, without getting into my age, I'm getting older and I started to think about the commitment needed for another three years," she told the News.
"I struggled last week over this, I really did, I didn't sleep a wink. But after I made the decision, I knew it was the right one.
"I feel very fortunate to have been a city councillor during these exciting times. But we now need people to come in with fresh ideas." Sue, who's now preparing to spend more time at her new cottage on the Sunshine Coast and with her eight grandchildren, had been fully expected to run with the RITE slate, which even distributed her bio and picture in a press release as recently as last
