How Nanaimo candidates would pay for rising infrastructure costs

Leading up to the 2026 municipal election in Nanaimo, The Discourse surveyed readers to learn what they wanted to know from candidates running for council and mayor.

The top issues that readers said are on their mind this election season are: homelessness and social supports, environment, healthcare and local infrastructure.

Based on your feedback, we sent five reader questions to Nanaimo city council and mayoral candidates about the top issues you identified. Many readers also wanted to know more about candidate track records and values, not just talking points, with some folks submitting questions to help indicate how much candidates actually know about their municipal roles and responsibilities.

Responses are listed with mayoral candidates first, followed by council candidates, each in alphabetical order by last name, and have been lightly edited for length, clarity and fact-checking.

Q. Costs of infrastructure and repairs have skyrocketed. How would you manage the budget to accommodate those repairs without bankrupting the taxpayers?

Brunie Brunie (Mayor)

By careful budgeting we do not need a new works yard.  The economy is down and taxes must not keep going up.

Anne Marie Dryden (Mayor)

We must keep taxes affordable.  They are way out of line at this point and we must figure out ways to bring them down.  That means increasing other revenues for the city and cutting unnecessary spending.

Leonard Krog (Mayor), incumbent

A Municipal Council cannot ignore maintenance and repair of civic assets and their replacement when appropriate. The cost of providing, improving and maintaining civic infrastructure has increased substantially over recent years. Also remember that recent property tax increases include a substantial amount that the City collects as required by the Regional Hospital Board for it to be able to pay its (40%) share of health service facility improvements.

Sarah Lovegrove (Mayor)

We have an opportunity to re-examine and reallocate current spending within our existing municipal budget that can serve to minimize the overall burden on taxpayers, assessing current service delivery and decision-making with measurable outcomes of success that meet the current needs of our community. I aim to balance rising costs of essential infrastructure upgrades with the implementation of evidence-based programming and services that demonstrate results alongside fiscally responsible long-term outcomes, prioritizing upstream prevention that mitigates compounding future costs to the taxpayer.

Jeff Annesley

Jeff Annesley did not respond by the deadline.

“I’ve seen the waste. Between $5 and $10 million a year goes to grants… You give us a lot of money in taxes, we need to learn how to spend it and stop raising your taxes.” (NanaimoNewsNOW, Sept. 30)

“No, these should be our focus and not road narrowing and bollards.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their slate’s platform on its website.

Sheryl Armstrong, incumbent

We need to prioritize the repairs and do a cost benefit analysis for each project.  Water and waste projects are top priorities for me as they are critical infrastructure.

Sandy Bartlett

Sandy Bartlett did not respond by the deadline.

“Necessary infrastructure and upgrades must be built not on a scale that does not unreasonably increase tax burdens. Capital Projects that require large expenditures and in some cases borrowing should be thoroughly disclosed to the public” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their slate’s platform on its website.

Ken Bennett

Needs have a priority while wants may have to take the back burner. Having a contingency plan, banking monies away wisely can fit in the wants without drowning the public in runaway taxes.

Marnie Boers

We need to keep building our asset management reserve funds so we are better prepared for major infrastructure repairs and replacements. At the same time, we should look for ways to grow our industrial and commercial tax base to help offset the tax burden on residential property owners. As a homeowner, I understand how hard increased taxes are, but we also have to be realistic that maintaining the infrastructure we rely on costs money, and we need to plan rather than leave future taxpayers with the bill.

Jackie Bolen

I will not vote for raises for city employees (including mayor/council) above the rate of inflation. I will advocate for green, energy-efficient buildings, because although they might be a bit more expensive up front, in the long term, they are cheaper. I would also like to focus on urban density within the existing city limits, instead of expanding outwards, as urban sprawl is not cheap.

Mark Chandler

Well run cities have these costs on the radar from decades ago.  It will never change and restricted surplus funds along with future more manageable tax increases are the best path forward.  Unfortunately infrastructure costs are here to stay and must be dealt with.  The biggest challenge is to do things in the right order and in the most economical way.

Paul Chapman

The best way to prevent ballooning costs is timely and incremental maintenance and repair of our critical infrastructure. Delay results in more failures of our infrastructure with emergency patchwork followed by expensive long term fixes causing costs to skyrocket. Reducing the footprint of our City concentrates our services across a smaller service area meaning fewer kilometers of drinking water, storm water, sewer, and road infrastructure to maintain.

Malcolm Cooke

Malcolm Cooke did not respond by the deadline.

“No. There are other avenues that can ease the tax burden while proper infrastructure maintenance is done.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

“Proper investment with reserve dollars should negate the need to add to it year over year through property tax increases” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their slate’s platform on its website.

Andréa Coutu

We have to look after the infrastructure we already have without making life unaffordable for the people paying for it and still investing in the things that make Nanaimo a city with heart. I want major investments assessed through a Balanced Prosperity Scorecard, — looking at lifecycle costs, infrastructure risk, service needs, economic and community benefits and the cost of waiting — and then track service standards so residents can see whether their dollars are actually producing better roads, faster repairs and more reliable services, and where their phone call, email or permit is. We can stretch every dollar further by coordinating projects, maintaining assets (including invisible infrastructure) before they fail, pursuing grants and partnerships, treating tree canopies and other natural features as part of assets and infrastructure and using infrastructure-specific cost measures (rather than household inflation) and communicating in modern ways so we make the numbers and trade-offs easy for the public to see.

Shane Crawley

Shane Crawley did not respond by the deadline.

“Balancing a budget is never easy but I feel it can be done if projects are selected in order of need. I believe that both can be done” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

“I believe that a better balanced budget would get things done faster major projects then the residents need to feel involved” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Ryan Djakovic

I would strengthen oversight of construction bids to ensure the city receives maximum value and avoids cost overruns. At the same time, I would expand revenue through tourism, industry partnerships, and innovative projects that reduce reliance on taxation. This approach helps fund essential repairs while protecting residents from unsustainable tax increases.

Hilary Eastmure, incumbent

Minimize the tax burden by prioritizing needs over wants, invest wisely in replacing aging infrastructure before a crisis, and maintain the annual 1% property tax levy for asset management to ensure we’re proactively saving for repairs and replacements rather than having to react in an emergency, which is much more costly. The failure of past councils to plan ahead and tax responsibly combined with rapidly-aging infrastructure and the demands of a growing city have meant that we are in the difficult position of having to tax at what are uncomfortable rates for some residents, especially with home value assessments increasing due to BC Assessment. If major projects can be scaled down or designed differently to meet a variety of community needs, they absolutely should be, but delaying essential work only costs more in the long run.

Joe Figel

Joe Figel did not respond by the deadline.

“Fiscal Responsibility & Efficient City Operations—Bringing prudence, accountability, and efficiency to city operations and public projects so taxpayers receive real value for their money.” (REAL Nanaimo candidate page)

“Careful budgeting, clear communication around borrowing, and evaluation of large capital projects based on sustainability and measurable outcomes.” (REAL Nanaimo slate platform)

Read his slate’s platform on its website.

Ben Geselbracht, incumbent

First, council’s adopted official community plan policy of growing up, instead of out, spreads the cost of every meter of pipe and road across more households, and a stronger business and industrial tax base eases the burden on homeowners. Second, good asset management tells us what needs replacing and when, so we save in reserves ahead of time instead of paying extra to borrow. Third, we do the work intelligently by rebuilding streets when we replace the pipes underneath so we don’t dig twice, and buy materials ahead when prices dip.

Bryan Gordon

Bryan Gordon did not respond by the deadline.

“Core Municipal Services First — Prioritizing essential services, infrastructure, and community needs before pursuing projects that do not directly benefit residents.” (REAL Nanaimo candidate page)

“Careful budgeting, clear communication around borrowing, and evaluation of large capital projects based on sustainability and measurable outcomes.” (REAL Nanaimo slate platform)

Read his slate’s platform on its website.

Anita Greer

Anita Greer did not respond by the deadline.

See her Facebook page.

Patrick Gunville

The long-term answer is to grow our tax base, particularly commercial and industrial assessment, so the cost of maintaining a growing city is not continually pushed onto residential taxpayers. I would prioritize core infrastructure, ensure new growth contributes appropriately toward the infrastructure it requires, and favour investments that strengthen our economic and tax base over discretionary spending that creates additional long-term liabilities. Nanaimo needs to grow its way into a stronger financial position, not simply tax its way there.

Derek Hanna

Derek Hanna did not respond by the deadline.

“Infrastructure & Sustainable Growth—Ensuring infrastructure and city services keep pace with population growth while maintaining long-term affordability.” (REAL Nanaimo candidate page)

“Careful budgeting, clear communication around borrowing, and evaluation of large capital projects based on sustainability and measurable outcomes.” (REAL Nanaimo slate platform)

Read his slate’s platform on its website.

Richard Harlow

The City looks after $4.8 billion of infrastructure, taxes went up 6.4 per cent this year with 7.8 projected for next, and the people that lands hardest on are seniors whose pensions do not rise with inflation and people on disability assistance, some of them one increase away from losing their home. The cheapest repair is the one you never have to make: a barrier caught on a drawing costs nothing and the same barrier caught after the concrete costs a retrofit, a street opened up for pipes closes up to the accessible standard for the price of the trench, a wetland does flood control the City would otherwise have to build, and a suite built so a senior can keep using her own bathroom at eighty is a care bed the region never has to build. I would keep the one per cent asset management levy, put wetlands and canopy on the asset register so we stop paying to rebuild what they do for free, open an express permit lane for apartment builders who put more than the minimum of accessible suites in a building, because ageing with dignity starts with a door you can get through, make growth pay for growth through the new development and amenity charges, borrow only for what lasts fifty years so the people using it in 2050 help pay, and let the public vote on part of the building budget with the result published.

Editor’s Note: The $4.8 billion figure is the 2021 replacement value, which is what it would cost to rebuild everything, not what the assets are worth. 

Erin Hemmens, incumbent

My first priority is protecting the infrastructure we already own, because deferring maintenance may save money today but can hand taxpayers a much larger bill later. We also need to scrutinize new capital projects for both their construction and long-term operating costs, while ensuring growth pays its fair share of the infrastructure it requires through tools such as development cost charges. With construction costs rising, that means making choices: protecting essential services and existing assets, being disciplined about new commitments, pursuing senior-government funding and being transparent with residents about the trade-offs.

Steven Johns

Council has to prioritize must have versus nice to haves. We would have to reevaluate what needs to be done right away versus what can be done in the future. I have a lot of experience balancing budgets and would be a great voice on the council in this regard.

Cameron Leckenby

My No.1 priority when elected to Nanaimo City Council will be to cut building permit wait times, so that we can build more public and affordable housing faster. Reducing building permit wait times will save Nanaimo residents money, as we can get housing projects started with local workers earning a good living wage, before costs can continue to escalate. I will also work to invest in sustainable infrastructure and retrofitting buildings, so that Nanaimo’s buildings save money long-term by being more efficient.

Max MacKay

Max MacKay did not respond by the deadline.

“I am committed to keeping municipal spending focused strictly on core infrastructure and essential public services… Through line-by-line budget reviews to cut administrative waste” (Max MacKay campaign website)

“Essential infrastructure like water and sewer shouldn’t be neglected just to lower taxes in the short term.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Paul Manly, incumbent

Previous councils kept taxes artificially low by putting off necessary infrastructure upgrades and  not setting aside funds in reserve to build the capital needed for asset management and the replacement of aging infrastructure. I would stick with the new reserve policies that have been implemented to ensure that we do not need to raise taxes or engage in expensive long-term borrowing for critical infrastructure. Previous councils stalled on major projects we now urgently need, such as expanding the aging hospital, replacing and expanding the sewer force main under Hammond Bay Road, and replacing the aging and outdated public works yard and the police station.

Bryant Marshall

I would prioritize essential infrastructure and repairs through a long-term asset-management plan, focusing first on safety, reliability and projects that prevent small problems from becoming expensive failures. I would commit to finding efficiencies, partnerships and senior-government funding before increasing the tax burden on Nanaimo residents, and I would only support borrowing when the long-term value clearly justifies the cost. My Arts, Culture and Community platform is about responsible stewardship and protecting the community spaces and infrastructure residents rely on while keeping property taxes predictable and affordable.

Bill McKay

Careful, conservative planning is essential. Some projects may need to be deferred so the city can prioritize critical infrastructure at risk of failure. Nanaimo has a fair amount of water mains that are old and in need of replacement before we have another catastrophic failure.

Andrew Merilees

Nanaimo needs a stable and healthy asset reserve to meet the needs of our growing city. Forward planning for infrastructure repairs has to continue. Costs will not decrease over time. The burden on residential taxpayers can be lightened by partnered project planning, developing our industrial tax base and creating a business friendly environment at City Hall.

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller did not respond by the deadline.

“Council should also hold the distinction between critical infrastructure and beautification firmly. Repairing a water main is an obligation… A decorative streetscape is an aspiration that can wait” (Matthew Miller campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Zaki Mohammed

Zaki Mohammed did not respond by the deadline.

“Nobody wants to see their tax bill climb every year. But water and sewer are not line items we can push down the road without consequences.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

“Residents deserve lower tax increases, but not ones built on a foundation that costs them more later.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Rod Moreno

Growth can pay for growth through DCCs. We need a public transparent risk assessment and contingency plan for major projects in order to avoid cost overruns like the 1.4 million at the Metral dr surprise.

Janice Perrino, incumbent

The same way we do every year, assess the budget, decide what must be done. We do the “must haves” first and the “nice to haves” later.

Rob Phelan

Rob Phelan did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Frank Pluta

Frank Pluta did not respond by the deadline.

“Responsible management of taxpayer dollars / Greater transparency and public accountability / Informed public consent before major borrowing decisions” (REAL Nanaimo candidate page)

“Careful budgeting, clear communication around borrowing, and evaluation of large capital projects based on sustainability and measurable outcomes.” (REAL Nanaimo slate platform)

Read their slate’s platform on its website.

Austin Seng

How we approach cost, priority, and necessity is key to managing funds responsibly for infrastructure and repairs.

We need to consider the quality and scale of materials, the immediate and long term impact of each project, and whether the investment is truly necessary.

By carefully evaluating these factors, we can prioritize essential projects, spend responsibly, and ensure that public funds are used sustainably and effectively.

Holden Southward

To reduce costs in maintaining and building city infrastructure we must become much more utilitarian and use local contractors and even volunteers. We must prioritize vital upkeep and reduce taxes because the world is in great danger of mass inflation and layoffs.

Ian Thorpe, incumbent

Ian Thorpe did not respond by the deadline.

“An increase of just over $200 in this year’s taxes from last year, I don’t think is unreasonable… all of those services cost us more money each year to provide.” (Nanaimo News Bulletin, Dec. 2, 2025)

“If infrastructure projects for water and sewer upgrades or replacement are essential, it would be foolish and shortsighted to delay them.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Paul Van Ryssel

Paul Van Ryssel declined to answer the questionnaire.

“Council should distinguish between what is essential now, what can be staged differently, what can wait, and what may not be necessary at all. Core infrastructure should come before lower-priority spending.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

“I would not use reserves simply to create an artificially lower tax increase today and leave a larger problem for future taxpayers.” (NanaimoNewsNOW Know Your Vote candidate survey, Oct. 1)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Angela Hope Waldick

I would start with the uncomfortable truth that delaying necessary infrastructure doesn’t make the bill disappear, it usually makes it more expensive. I would prioritize projects using measurable factors such as asset condition, public safety, risk of failure, service impact and the cost of delaying the work, while using reserves, grants, development related funding and carefully considered borrowing where appropriate.

Meg Fyfe Watkins

I think we need to start by looking closely at how we’re spending the revenue we already have, and whether that spending is actually achieving the goals we intended, and adjust accordingly. We should also look carefully at every new investment and ask if this proposal is the only way to achieve the desired outcome. And when we do invest, those decisions should be guided by Nanaimo’s Official Community Plan of balancing financial prosperity with the health of our community and the limits of our planet, so I would always be challenging us as a council to find ways to achieve all three.