A born and raised Campbell Riverite wants to be mayor of the city.
Larry Samson is one five candidates running for mayor.
Samson served 34 years on the fire department, retiring as fire chief in 2009 and then, shortly after, served two terms on city council.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Samson says he felt the urge to run for the top job after seeing “troubling times” for Campbell River in the last four years.
After talking to people, he says the biggest issue facing the city is homelessness and it’s not just in the downtown core – it’s also in Nunns Creek, Campbellton and the Dogwood Street corridor.
“Even though we talk about the homeless being the number one issue, it’s having a trickle down effect that we’re seeing in our medical care. We’re also seeing it in our tax increases. We are taking on more and more of the duties that the province should be taking on,” Samson said.
Samson questions how long the strained medical system can go on “before it breaks,” noting that local health care is at 140 per cent capacity.
He also noted the city is facing financial challenges and pressure down the road.
“We are going through some financial, I’ll say, difficulties or restructuring right now and if we don’t do something quick and change this around we’re going to start seeing some significant tax increases in the coming years,” Samson said.
Asked what sets him apart from the other candidates, Samson says he has a 95-year-old grandmother living alone and a 9-year-old granddaughter so “I see each generation and the struggles they go through,” plus his previous experience on council.
“I feel I have some very definite ideas and action plans to deal with the situations that we’re seeing in our downtown and our areas,” Samson said.
Election day is Saturday, Oct. 15.
