After one term on council, voters in Penticton, B.C., have promoted Julius Bloomfield to mayor.
“It’s exciting and humbling and interesting all at the same time,” said Bloomfield. “It was an interesting vote around the province. Definitely a vote for change.”
And that appetite for change is what Bloomfield believes led him to the top of the polls on Saturday.
“I think it’s because I represented a change of attitude, ” he said. “Willing to or wanting to bring about change, and I think that was the deciding factor for most people.”
Bloomfield captured about 33 per cent of the vote. Runner-up Jason Reyen got 31 per cent while incumbent mayor John Vassilaki came in third place with only 20 per cent of support.
Bloomfield said he has a vision for Penticton to make the city more livable.
“Where people are comfortable getting out and about and do get out and about and out of the cars and you know, into the parks and into the open spaces and just creating a more livable community,” he told Global News.
But Bloomfield said the first order of business will be to start the task of cleaning up the streets.
“Certainly crime and homelessness is going to be the biggest challenge,” he said. “And that’s where all the focus is right now”.
Bloomfield said he wants to take swift action to deal with the issues that have plagued the city for several years now.
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“I have a few ideas as to what I want to do, but in very quick steps, but it’s going to be up to council to endorse those,” Bloomfield told Global news. “And I think we’ll decide those factors at the first council meeting.”
Bloomfield plans to tackle the issue of prolific offenders by making sure the province does its part on that front.
He also intends to implement the Car 40 program, which has a mental health nurse responding to crisis calls alongside RCMP.
“I already made a motion to the last council or to the current council, I should say,” he stated. “We took it to UBCM (Union of Bc Municipalities). It was endorsed unanimously and we presented it to two of the provincial ministers and that is already underway. So I’m hoping that there’s going to be fast track.”
Bloomfield said housing affordability is also high on the list of issues to tackle.
“Taking stock of city-owned land and finding suitable safe and affordable housing contracts,” Bloomfield said.
On the streets of Penticton, even though those who didn’t vote for Bloomfield are hoping the new mayor and council, which includes two incumbents, three new councillors and a returning one from the past, are successful in bringing about change for the better.
“It’ll be quite a different council, I think, with a lot of younger people, so it might do us some good,” said Penticton resident Bernice Miller.
“I think we will have to give them a chance and see what their actual implementable ideas are,” said Penticton resident Loraine Stephenson.
When asked if Penticton residents can expect a reduction in crime and homelessness under his leadership, Bloomfield said he will try his hardest.
“I can’t promise that but what I can promise is we will be taking as many steps as possible to make that happen.”
The new mayor and council will be sworn in Dec. 1.
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