14 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Councillor Chris Coleman is running for re-election to City of Victoria council in 2014. In the 2011 election Coleman placed 8th out of eight council positions.

 

Website: http://www.chriscoleman.ca/

[Holden West]

Before leaving the TC in 2008, political writer Carolyn Heiman penned this report card on City Council, including Coleman:

 

 

 

- Chris Coleman
Achievements: A likable steady Eddy on council, who mostly drifts to the happy middle ground on issues. Keeps informed about issues common to all municipalities and often takes a wider view on many issues.
Needs work: Would achieve a higher profile if credited with a key policy change or project of significance.
Comments: He wants to run for mayor but worries the Dean Fortin election machine is too strong to stop. This is symbolic of the absence of risk-taking that plagues the whole council table.

 

Although he's burdened with the bridge mismanagement along with most of them, Chris can be counted on for seeing both sides of an issue. He would go on to lead the Juno competition as his "project of significance" but since that is dead he'll need to find another high profile item. He's smart enough not to choose a controversial agenda item like lowered speed limits like Gudgeon has.

 

He'd be a good addition to the CRD.

Edited by Holden West, 21 August 2014 - 03:14 PM.

[John M.]

If we had preferential balloting, he'd be the highest on the list for me of the incumbent councillors

[jonny]

I will probably vote for Coleman in the coming up election. If we had more reasonable and balanced Councillors I think the city would be run much better.

[Mike K.]

And yet he still voted for the speed limit reduction and who knows how many costs that will push on tax payers. $90k is just the beginning.

[jonny]

And yet he still voted for the speed limit reduction and who knows how many costs that will push on tax payers. $90k is just the beginning.

 

I know. This is an issue where nobody wants to be reasonable.

 

I think the issue is nobody wants to be seen as the guy who is against real or imagined safety improvements.

[John M.]

I will probably vote for Coleman in the coming up election. If we had more reasonable and balanced Councillors I think the city would be run much better.

Exactly. He appears to be pretty much the sole opposition to the Dean Team.

[29er Radio]

"And yet he still voted for the speed limit reduction and who knows how many costs that will push on tax payers. $90k is just the beginning."

 

We dealt with this issue for a bit on one of Lisa, Gene and Eric shows and I still believe it was a ridiculous thing to focus on when all around us seems mayhem, but Lisa Helps' take was interesting. She said that the council meeting was packed, all the speakers were passionate and that the overwhelming push was from communities looking for cars to slow down in their "hood". She suggested that she was going in a NO but was swayed by the proponents passion for YES. I am not too sure if that is a good enough reason, but maybe that is what democracy looks like. Sometimes we are our worst enemies and we agree to things that may or may not make a difference but they make us feel good.

[G-Man]

But were they Victoria residents speaking in the chamber or did a special interest group bring in hordes ala Esquimalt Sewage hearing.

[29er Radio]

good question. The feeling I got was the pro speakers were specific about their communities needs like quadra village etc, rather than a blanket slow down. My concern is they asked the engineering department to put it into affect when they were against the drop in the first place. Perhaps not as motivated to have this plan work as well as the councilors voting for the plan.

[Bernard]

If Chris is re-elected, and I think he will be, by the end of his next term he will be the councilor that served the third longest time on Victoria council in 156 years.

[Bernard]

Here are my thoughts on Chris

 

Why would I vote for Chris Coleman in the City of Victoria?

 

I am writing this today because too many people in the City of Victoria do not understand how valuable an asset they have in Chris Coleman being on council.

I lived in the City of Victoria from 2004 to 2013 and voted for Chris in 2005, 2008 and 2011.   I would still vote for him if I were living in the City of Victoria.

A major reason I would continue voting for Chris is that he really understands the role of councilor.   I do not think most of the public understands how council really works, the meetings of the council are only the final action of a long process that involves the council, the public and the staff of the city.   A good councilor has done 95% of the work on an issue before it comes up for debate at a council meeting, Chris is that sort of guy.

Because Chris is always well prepared on all the issues he understands that simplistic answers do not work.   He also more than aware what the limits are given the council of the day and political reality in the city.  From all of this he is able to be a very effective councilor.

Chris is not at the council to thump the table and rant and rave, he is there to get things done.   He is measured and pragmatic which is not what some people want.  They want some that rails against the system instead of someone that can effect useful change. 

Chris is also very good at bringing people together and finding commonalities.   His skill at this allows him to be instrumental in getting people past deadlocks.  He rarely will take any credit for what he has done.   It is for this skill that he is called a fence sitter or flip flopper which shows people do not understand what he is doing.

Chris is not the sort of guy to spend his time promoting himself.  He can be self deprecating to a fault.  He very much lets his actions speak for themselves but the media does not cover competent councilors that quietly do a great job on council.

I know of no other councilor in this region that goes to the effort to talk to the people as Chris does.  He does not only show up at community association meetings and such, he constantly is seeking out the people that do not show up.  He goes to the doorsteps all year round and asks the public what they think of the city and what issues they might have.

Chris is also very approachable, getting him to sit down with you over coffee is easy to do.   If I ever had an issue with the City, he was the first person I called.  Call him and have coffee with him, I sure he will meet with you.   

Finally, and most importantly to me, Chris is one of the most ethical and honest people I have ever met.  If he thinks you might be misled by what he is saying he will make sure you are not.  

I highly recommend to anyone in the City of Victoria to please vote for Chris Coleman. (I only added the please because it is what Chris does - he always asks people to please vote for him.)

[R0ark]

He may know how to be a councillor but he has a bad voting record. I didn't vote for him because I don't think he has been an effective councillor or done anything useful in his time on council. For example:

 

1. He voted for the awful PCL contract with the 4% contingency. He also yes-manned the JSB replacement project at every step of the way.
2. He voted against limiting the staff’s ability to make Section 43 requests and limit FOI requests by citizens or news media, after they showed poor judgement by trying to limit FOCUS magazine over their few requests. 
3. One of the three to actually vote in support of Dean Fortin's egregious Code of Conduct motion, giving the Council powers to discipline a councillor who criticises the decision-making process or discloses confidential information. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association then complained such a Code would limit councillors’ freedom of expression.
4. Voted in favour of restricing car traffic in Beacon Hill.

Edited by R0ark, 09 November 2014 - 04:50 PM.

[Nparker]

Thank you for once again reminding us of the more-or-less abysmal record of our current council R0ark. I think I will print this off and have it with me next Saturday when I vote to (hopefully) make some changes to our local government.

[Rob Randall]

From Carolyn Heiman's 2008 Council report card:

 

- Chris Coleman
Achievements: A likable steady Eddy on council, who mostly drifts to the happy middle ground on issues. Keeps informed about issues common to all municipalities and often takes a wider view on many issues.
Needs work: Would achieve a higher profile if credited with a key policy change or project of significance.
Comments: He wants to run for mayor but worries the Dean Fortin election machine is too strong to stop. This is symbolic of the absence of risk-taking that plagues the whole council table.