Veteran politician Leonard Krog is putting his hat into the ring and is seeking re-election for a second consecutive term as mayor of the City of Nanaimo. Krog made the announcement Tuesday morning at Maffeo Sutton Park amongst local reporters and about a dozen supporters. "I’m here to announce with great pride that I intend to seek another term as the mayor of the City of Nanaimo," he said. The incumbent mayor took the seat back in 2018 after the tumultuous mayor and council previously captured headlines for their dysfunction. Krog says he made up his mind months ago and wants to carry on the work that he and council are doing. "This council has worked well together. I’m proud of what the city has accomplished in the last four years," he said. He highlighted the number of investments coming into the city, reiterating that $319 million in building permits have been issued this year, which is on pace for a record year. He’d also like to see through the extension of the waterfront walkway project as well as upgrades to the RCMP station and public works facility, Krog says. However, he admits the most challenging issue facing the city right now is the mental health, addictions, trauma and brain injury crisis which is plaguing the city and other urban centers across the country, according to Krog. "It’s on the lips of every voter I talk to," he said. Since taking the mayor's chair, Krog says he has been a strong advocate for creating secure facilities, involving involuntary care for people dealing with those issues. The incumbent mayor added that people who are performing criminal acts should not be brushed off as simply having a mental health issue. "They should be in the kind of care and secure facility where you are safe and the public is safe from you until you’re able and ready to go out into the community," he said. Krog spent 18 years as a MLA for the Nanaimo region prior to becoming mayor. The nomination period to run for mayor or council opened Tuesday morning in the Harbour City, and the deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. Candidates will be made public after the deadline has passed. General voting day for municipal elections is Oct. 15, 2022.
