'I have no history in politics': First candidate enters Victoria byelection race

In her bid for a seat on Victoria council, Karmen McNamara is seeking the endorsement of residents group Together Victoria. (CTV Vancouver Island)

VICTORIA – The first candidate in Victoria's looming municipal byelection has announced her intention to run.

Triathlete Karmen McNamara has announced her bid to replace former councillor Laurel Collins, who submitted her resignation Nov. 4 in order to represent Victoria as a newly elected NDP MP in Ottawa.

"What I'm seeing is a lot of talking, a lot of studying, and not nearly as much action as I'd like to see," McNamara said of Victoria council in an interview with CTV News on Monday. "I think that I can bring that voice that says, 'We've got all these great ideas, let's move forward.'"

The 36-year-old McNamara may be known to some voters for her advocacy on replacing of the city's aging Crystal Pool facility. McNamara launched a petition earlier this month in an effort to speed up the replacement process, which has dragged on for years.

"I am a person that came into this quite organically," McNamara said. "I have no history in politics, I have no interest in being a career politician. I'm just a person that sees a city that I love not making good decisions fast enough."

McNamara is seeking the endorsement of Together Victoria, a municipal residents group that has championed housing affordability and environmental sustainability on council.

In the 2018 civic election, Together Victoria endorsed three candidates – Laurel Collins, Sharmarke Dubow and Sarah Potts – who all went on to land council seats.

In line with Together Victoria's vision of creating more affordable housing, McNamara said she would like to end homelessness in the city within three years of the 2020 byelection.

"Targeting zero per cent homelessness by 2023 is one of the best things that we can do to make a thriving and prosperous city that ultimately will save money overall," she said.

"I have committed that am I elected, if someone contacts me wanting to talk about an issue related to the city and they're willing to engage in a respectful conversation, I will meet with them – carte blanche."

One possible point of departure between McNamara and Victoria council's more progressive members is the controversial issue of a pay hike for councillors.

Earlier this month, Coun. Ben Isitt put forward a motion asking the public to consider increasing council salaries from about $45,000 per year to more than $70,000 to compensate for the increasingly long hours they put in.

McNamara said that while she believes the job requires full-time hours, "the amount that council has asked for is ridiculous," she said, adding "in no other industry would that be acceptable."

The City of Victoria is expected to appoint a chief election officer in the coming weeks, who will then set a date for the byelection no later than 80 days after their appointment.