An incumbent city councillor has enjoyed the work, the people, and the decision-making and wants to stay around for more.
Coun. Zeni Maartman has announced that she is running for re-election.
Maartman had previously served as a school trustee and had been an election candidate for various positions numerous times before she earned the eighth and final city council seat in the 2018 election.
She said every single meeting has been a good experience and she feels as though council has demonstrated good governance the past four years.
“We have been so respectful,” she said. “We don’t always agree with each other, but we definitely listen to each other and it’s been a joy.”
Every council member’s vote counts the same, but around the Nanaimo council table, Maartman has often found herself in the position of being a ‘deciding vote.’ She said she’s taken that responsibly seriously and has been open to changing her mind.
“When a person is presented with even more information and they believe that information has altered their decision, then a person should be strong enough to be able to say, ‘I’m thinking differently now,’” she said. “I don’t think it’s flip-flopping.”
Casting deciding votes, she said, “was a difficult position, but I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy it.”
An example she gave was the doughnut economic framework, which city council adopted as cohesive vision in a 5-4 vote in 2020. Maartman said although the doughnut concept was new to her at the time, its principles of social equity and environmental responsibility were values she had long advocated for.
She’s interested in working more on downtown revitalization and working toward new RCMP and public works facilities, and she expressed excitement about the next phase of the Reimagine Nanaimo city plan.
“We’ve created Nanaimo’s vision for our future…” she said. “The actions and policies that have to come out of this vision are actually the work fo the next city council. I would like to be part of that council that makes Reimagine Nanaimo actually come to life.”
Anyone running for mayor or councillor in the City of Nanaimo or the District of Lantzville, regional director in the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Area A, B, C or E, or school trustee in School District 68 is asked to contact the Nanaimo News Bulletin to set up an interview or invite us to a campaign launch event. Phone Greg Sakaki at 250-734-4621 or e-mail editor@nanaimobulletin.com.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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