VIDEO: Tom Dyas challenges Colin Basran for Mayor of Kelowna

| September 26, 2022 in Kelowna

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Tom Dyas is taking a second shot at the Mayor's office.

The two-time Kelowna Chamber of Commerce president and founder of TD Benefits Insurance vows to listen and lead if he's elected Mayor.

Dyas has been a Kelowna resident since 1995.

Along with running his insurance company, his resume includes participation on a host of committees including Journey Home, Child Advocacy Centre, Memorial Cup, Airport Advisory and the chamber of commerce where he served two terms as president.

"Decades of experience in business and decades of experience with helping within the community," said Dyas, "have put me in a position to be Kelowna's next mayor."

Dyas said voters are telling him that council isn't responding to the issues they raise.

"They're feeling like they're not being listened to," he said.

Dyas said Kelowna residents are paying too much in taxes and the problems they care most about aren't being addressed.

On homelessness, he calls it, "the most homelessness that we've encountered."

On traffic: "The most traffic that we've experienced."

Dyas also raises housing affordability as a big issue.

But topping his list is crime.

"There is great concern with regards to crime," he said. 

And he has some ideas on how we could better deal with it.

"A few simple ones are things like a citizen patrol," said Dyas.

"Another big important item would be to meet with the RCMP on a weekly basis."

He said his plan is to tackle the city's problems by bringing the right people together to solve them.

"To move the issues forward by dealing with them and gathering together extremely intelligent people that you can work alongside," he said.

"I don't think any mayor goes into that position where they expect to have all the answers."

Dyas last ran for Mayor in 2018 when he managed to get close to 30% of the vote against Colin Basran's 57%.

He believes he will do better this time around.

To check out all of the candidates, visit KelownaVotes 2022.

Voting day is Oct. 15.

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