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Mayor John Dooley to run for re-election

Dooley will campaign for his fifth term
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Mayor John Dooley will seek re-election in October. Photo: John Dooley Mayor of Nelson BC Facebook page

John Dooley says he will campaign for a fifth term as Nelson’s mayor.

Dooley announced Tuesday he would seek re-election ahead of the Oct. 15 B.C. General Local Elections. Dooley said he felt the COVID-19 pandemic robbed city council of two years and that he wants to see through an uninterrupted term.

“I still am very enthusiastic about where I see the community going. I think we’re in a really good path,” said Dooley.

“I’m looking forward to you know another four years. I’m energetic and passionate about it. It’s something that I care deeply about, and I’ve got good experience that I can bring to the table and help our community through some of the challenges we’re facing at the moment.”

On the ballot, Dooley will face city councillor Janice Morrison who also announced her candidacy Tuesday. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 9.

If Dooley, 74, wins and completes a full term, he would become Nelson’s longest serving mayor. That record is currently held by Louis Maglio, who was mayor for 14 years over three separate terms from 1966 to 1985.

His campaign record has been near perfect since being first elected to city council in 1999. Dooley served two terms on council, then won his first mayoral campaign in 2005. He was then re-elected mayor in 2008 and 2011.

In 2014, Dooley narrowly lost to Deb Kozak but was re-elected again as mayor in 2018.

Dooley said he hopes to continue on as mayor while several civic projects are underway, such as the Nelson Health Campus set to open in 2024 as well as the reconstruction of the Hall Street pier.

In his announcement, Dooley added a rebuild of Baker Street infrastructure, a new organic waste diversion program and revisiting plans for a new library were among his priorities while navigating changing interests rates and inflation.

“It’s going to take a bit of experience to work our way through this for at least the next couple of years I would suggest. I believe that I bring that to the table. I’ve proven in the past that I’m able to manage things fairly well and work close to the council to stay in line with taxation and costs and try to accommodate the needs of the community.”

READ MORE: City councillor Janice Morrison to run for mayor of Nelson

@tyler_harper | tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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Tyler Harper

About the Author: Tyler Harper

I’m editor-reporter at the Nelson Star, where I’ve worked since 2015.
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