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Ida Chong to seek Victoria mayor's seat

Former cabinet minister makes four key promises to supporters
Ida Chong Mayor 1
Former provincial Liberal MLA Ida Chong announces she will run for the position of Victoria mayor in the upcoming municipal elections.

Former B.C. cabinet minister Ida Chong made it official this morning that she will run for the Victoria mayor’s job in this fall’s civic election.

“There’s only one capital in British Columbia and it’s Victoria. I’m proud of our city and can see its amazing potential everyday,” said Chong to a full house of supporters at the Steamship Grill and Bar Restaurant on Thursday morning.

Chong promised to:

• Freeze property tax rates for four years

• Invest in critical infrastructure

• Fix Blue Bridge boondoogle

• Solve sewage standoff

Dean Fortin has been mayor since 2008. He is expected to run for re-election.

Chong has been in politics since 1993 when she was elected as a municipal councillor for the District of Saanich. In 1996, Chong made the provincial politics where she held several cabinet post before being defeated last year.

Following her election defeat, she left the question what she would do next unanswered – until now.

She only decided to run the last few days after consulting with her family.

There has been a lot of speculation in recent weeks that Chong was being lobbied by the business community, but she said that she was askd by many different groups to consider running.

“I believe Victoria is the heart of this region and there needs to be leadership – people who spend every moment pf their day thinking about how to make Victoria succeed,” Chong said.

See more on this story in the print edition of the Victoria News on Wednesday.