Mark Richard Chandler Candidate profile approved

"Make my money go further. I’ve spent more than 40 years in business. And one thing business teaches you is to pay attention to both the dollars and the pennies. You learn to look at the big expenditures. But you also learn that small costs, repeated often enough, become big ones. And you learn to ask questions. Do we really need this? Are we getting good value for what we’re spending? Could we do this differently? Are we replacing something because it needs replacing—or because the schedule says it’s time? I brought those same questions with me when I served on Parksville City Council. We looked at things like the City’s vehicle replacement schedule. Did a low-mileage vehicle really need to be replaced after a set number of years? Could some vehicles be kept longer? Could vehicles that weren’t being used every day be shared between departments? We asked similar questions about staffing. Before automatically filling a vacant position or adding another one, could we look at the workload first? By asking good questions, we were able to find considerable savings without compromising the services residents depended on. That’s the kind of thinking I want to bring to Nanaimo. Sometimes the answer will be spend the money. Sometimes it will be don’t. But before asking taxpayers for more, I think we should be able to answer one very basic question: Are we getting everything we reasonably can from the money we’re already spending?"

"Taxes are most certainly one of the top three concerns facing Nanaimo voters. Reduction in taxes can come in many forms. #1 Creating a more vibrant industrial and commercial building base. This would most certainly build up a surplus in restricted and unrestricted funds. Thus demanding less of the home owner. #2 Exploring cost savings with city vehicle fleets, manpower and the use of outside contractors just to name three. This is what we accomplished during my previous term in a different jurisdiction. It was in the first year and set the tone for the four years. We had a tax increase of no more that 3.5% each year and added 20% to the city surplus funds account by the end of my term #3 we would need to review the infrastructure projects and the ongoing projects outside of that scope. In many cases and in most city budgets, there are far too many plans on the books in one year that will never get completed. We need to move those off the books into year two and stop Collecting tax money for things that clearly won’t happen for 12-18 months. This would assist in an immediate reduction. - this was done by our council in parksville. The work still got completed, but not prepaid too far in advance by taxpayers"

"We are at a critical time where families and especially seniors are without family medical representation. This must change through work with our relationships with all arms of Government. There needs to be a continued push to attract doctors and nurse practitioners into our area through incentives. It will be the best money spent at a provincial level and truly needs a big focus "

"We’re growing. More people are choosing Nanaimo as home. That’s bringing new energy, new investment and new opportunities. But growth brings pressure too. Housing costs more. Our infrastructure and services have to keep up. People are wondering where their tax dollars are going. And too many Nanaimo residents feel decisions are being made without really hearing from the people affected by them. I think this is an important moment for our city. We don’t need to resist change. But we do need to ask good questions about where we’re going and how we’re getting there. Are we spending on the right things? Are we doing them in the right order? Are we solving the right problems? And have we asked the people who live here? I’ve served on a municipal council before. I’ve built businesses. I’ve made good decisions and I’ve learned from difficult ones. And one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the most useful thing you can do is stop and ask: What if there’s a better way?"

"Transit will become a hot topic as more and more families and citizens use this service. With the cost of vehicles and fuel families are struggling to make ends meet. I also believe we need to add services to industrial areas in addition to what is currently available "

"A Nanaimo you can still afford to call home. Nanaimo is growing. Part of that growth comes from something those of us who live here already know: this is a pretty remarkable place to call home. But growth brings growing pains. Housing costs have climbed. Rents have climbed. And for a lot of people who have lived and worked here for years, staying in Nanaimo is becoming harder. So when we talk about Nanaimo needing more affordable housing, I want to ask another question: Affordable for whom? For the person working in a restaurant? The care aide? A young family? A senior on a fixed income? Someone who has rented here for twenty years? Because building more housing isn’t enough if the people who need it can’t afford what’s being built. And I don’t think we’re going to find all the answers by simply doing more of what we’ve always done. We may need to step outside the box. I have some creative ideas I’d like to explore. Some might call them a little off the wall. That’s okay with me. I also want to know what other forward-thinking cities are trying. What’s working? What could work here? Are there zoning changes or different ways of using land that could open up possibilities we haven’t seriously considered? I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I think this is one of the biggest questions facing Nanaimo over the next four years: How can the people who make Nanaimo work afford to live in Nanaimo?"

"Help me feel proud of how our city is responding. The homelessness issue has been driving me crazy for over 20 years. That’s how long I’ve been walking alongside someone I love who has been struggling with addiction. I’ve advocated for him. I’ve learned how treatment, housing and support systems work. I’ve watched him succeed and struggle. I’ve tried to help. And at times, I’ve felt completely helpless. By the time I was elected to Parksville Council, I was looking at this issue through several different lenses. I could see the person struggling. I could see the family trying desperately to help. And as a councillor, I also had a responsibility to see the impact on the wider community. I learned that we have to be able to hold all of those perspectives at the same time. We can have compassion for someone who is homeless or living with addiction and still question an approach that isn’t working. We can support housing and ask what happens after someone is housed. We can believe deeply in helping people and still believe our parks, streets and public spaces need to work for everyone. Those things are not opposites. During my time on Parksville Council, we had to put that thinking into practice when supportive housing was being developed in the community. The original proposal combined approximately 50 supportive-housing residents with a year-round shelter in the same building. We had concerns about that model. So rather than simply accepting the plan (or simply opposing supportive housing) we worked with BC Housing and the Regional District to change it. The shelter component was eventually removed. And that experience reinforced something I’d already learned personally: Compassion doesn’t mean we stop asking questions. Sometimes asking the difficult question is part of caring enough to find out whether the solution is actually working. I don’t have a simple answer to homelessness and addiction in Nanaimo. After more than 20 years of living alongside this issue, I’m suspicious of anyone who says they do. But I do believe we can look honestly at what we’re doing. Keep what is working. Question what isn’t. Explore other approaches. And advocate with other levels of government when the solutions are beyond the City’s reach. Because surely we can aim for this: A response that is compassionate, effective and responsible—and one we can be proud of."

"With growth in every city we attract more small businesses, larger employers and commercial investment from many sectors. I have been a strong voice in the past working with the tools I’ve been given to advocate for a vibrant business base. "

"Help me feel safe where I live. When we talk about public safety, it’s easy to think first about crime. But I think a safe city starts with something much more everyday: Can you move through it confidently? Can your kids walk or bike safely to where they’re going? Can an older person or someone with a disability cross the street before the light changes? Are there sidewalks where people actually need them? Are our streets and pathways well lit? Do you feel comfortable downtown at night? As Nanaimo grows, we’re making decisions now about how people will move around this city for decades to come. We need to plan for that future. But we also need to pay attention to what’s missing today. We can build bike lanes while still asking why some established neighbourhoods close to downtown don’t have sidewalks. Those things don’t have to compete. But they do raise an important question: Are we doing things in the right order? And yes, public safety also means being able to walk down a street, use a park, run a business or go downtown at night without feeling threatened. Nanaimo needs to work closely with the RCMP and bylaw services. And when provincial or federal policies aren’t working for our community—particularly around chronic and repeat offenders—I believe Council needs to say so, loudly and clearly. We may not control every part of the system. But we can advocate. We can ask good questions. And we can make sure the things that are within the City’s control are being done well."

"In 2023 my life after council in another jurisdiction allowed me to slow down my private business interests and travel across North America for 275 days. I was able to witness some truly amazing downtown revitalization ideas and have some incredible photos and documentation to support some new fresh ideas. The downtown core is considered the business card of a city. The more attractive it is the stronger the interest level from both travellers and business operators "

"Investment in our parks, leisure services and welcoming infrastructure projects should be a focus over the next four years. I believe the City of Nanaimo and council has done a very good job working towards these areas. Continuous improvement is very important "

"Your voice should matter before the decision is made. Being elected doesn’t automatically earn you the trust of the people you represent. You have to earn it. And one of the ways you earn it is by listening. We all know what it feels like when someone really listens to us. And we all know what it feels like when they don’t. When the decision has already been made. When you’re given a chance to speak, but you’re not sure anyone is actually hearing you. When consultation feels more like a process than a conversation. That’s not how you build trust. For me, good decisions start with good listening. That means asking the people who will actually be affected. It means being willing to hear things you don’t particularly want to hear. And it means being prepared to change your mind when somebody brings you information you didn’t have. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. You don’t have to agree with me. I still want to hear from you."

"In my past there was a solid focus on this for our community beach park with accesibility mats allowing wheelchair access and many upgrades to the downtown core and other areas. Our council liaison at the time did a great job bringing these projects to our attention which is a vital part of the success "

"Experience in a past council role has its benefits to opening additional doors for all levels of Government to give you a voice. This can’t be a second thought as funding and support to make changes and solidify public safety and wish list projects that cities need assistance with "

"Our current city council in Nanaimo has done a very good job with this sector. Watching projects along the way shows the dedication of our First Nations in this area to bring forward quality construction and thoughtful planning. "

"Affordable housing and public safety are top of mind hot button subjects. We need to stabilize the drug crisis and homelessness also to find a path forward. My goals on these three areas have been the same since me first term. We all want a City we can be proud of and we must become the squeeky wheel that gets the attention from the province and the Feds "

"I would like to see traditional reading and writing values taught to younger students and limit the tech related tools in some ways. I believe letting our schools create new pathways to getting kids ready for the real life adventure starts early and must be a focus as our teens get into the back end years of their education. We need to teach fiscal responsibility and an understanding of how life works "

"As an employer over the last 26 years, I have watched my staff struggle with the costs associated in proper daytime and afterschool care. Promises made in the past are operating at a very low rate of availability leaving so many families to make hard decisions. I believe in subsidized daycare and it should be a bigger priority for all levels of Government. "