The Editor:
May I congratulate Mayor Brodie on winning handily and all candidates who were successful on council and on the school board.
May I thank all the citizens who voted, all the citizens who voted for me and my party, Richmond Reform, and all the volunteers who worked so hard for all the candidates.
For the next four years, I will gladly offer to help with all individuals and groups of residents who have issues and concerns with the city’s governance, albeit I will be working from the sideline being not in elected office, and that my personal contributions may not be enough to guarantee satisfaction.
My last words of appreciation go to all the local media, who worked so hard to cover our campaigns, with professionalism and fair-mindedness.
To our citizens, au-revoir and may we meet again in the business, the issues and the concerns of our city.
Richard Lee
Richmond Reform
The Editor,
The Richmond election was a huge success, with the people of Richmond being the winners.
There is nothing better for democracy than strong voter engagement.
Richmond can be proud that we went from 23.4 per cent voter turnout in 2011 to 32.4 in 2014. That is an incredible improvement in just one term! A big part of that success is due to the newspapers, who did an outstanding job of covering the election.
Congratulations to all you brave souls who put your names forward as candidates for the election.
All put blood, sweat and tears into your campaigns. Until you have been a candidate, it is impossible to understand just how much work it is, and how many unseen hours you will spend, but you did it and it was a privilege to campaign with you all.
RITE Richmond would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to those who supported us. For myself, I am humbled and honoured for the confidence you have shown me. My commitment is to serve every person who lives in Richmond equally, and to increase community engagement in local government.
Carol Day
RITE Richmond Team
The Editor,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all Richmond residents for taking the few minutes from their day to vote on Nov. 15.
I’m honoured that over 4,700 residents supported my efforts to bring an independent voice to city council.
I’m thankful for the interesting people I met, thought-provoking views I heard and a new found appreciation for the diversity of our rapidly growing city.
I was impressed with all candidates for the respect shown for each other and their individual motivation to serve residents with their own approach.
Running as an independent candidate is both a challenging and rewarding experience.
Like a small business entrepreneur, candidates need to make their ‘business” or campaign successful very quickly.
While the parties are more like a franchise, buying into an established model with all its tools, marketing and support, independent candidates don’t have that luxury.
Most independents do not win a seat, but those who do have a unique opportunity to help craft the vision for our city into the future.
I trust that Richmond will be well-served by all incumbents re-elected, plus the new voices of Carol Day and Alexa Loo on council.
I look forward to continuing my service to the community and working with others on community projects.
Jerome Dickey
Richmond
