Victoria will be losing two familiar faces at the city council table this fall.
After almost two decades in office, Coun. Chris Coleman has announced he won’t seek re-election on Oct. 20, and Coun. Margaret Lucas has decided one term is enough.
“I’ve been blessed with two decades of doing something that was a startling gift,” Coleman said. “But at the same time, I see the trend line going toward spectacular politics and away from what I think are the principles of good governance.
“That’s frustrating, but I recognize it’s also evolutionary change.”
Lucas, general manager of the Rialto Hotel, said it was an honour to serve and she was “proud to have brought the voice of business into city hall.”
Lucas said she decided to retire for business and personal reasons. “I feel very comfortable that I had the opportunity to do many things at that table for four years and to seek another four years was longer than what I thought was in the best interest for myself.”
Lucas praised “the hard work that city staff do every day to keep our city safe, vibrant and livable. My fellow colleagues on council welcomed me, and although we did not agree on everything, I certainly respect the time they invest in our city.”
Mayor Lisa Helps said Lucas brought a pragmatic, thoughtful and balanced approach to council.
Coleman, 64, actually took five successive runs at council before being elected in 1986. He lost in 1989 and then ran again and won in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014.
“In baseball terms, I’m batting .500,” he said. “You learn that you just keep on going back and meeting more people and proving your worth.”
A moderate voice on council, Coleman said he always tried to look to the big picture rather than responding to those screaming the loudest.
“I used to teach in the faculty of business and would teach about managing from the middle of the demographic bell curve. The same principles apply in the political world,” he said.
“There is a balance you’ve got to find because we govern with both our heads and our hearts. We know that we have impacts on peoples’ lives. We try to find the sweet spot that says: Here’s the balance point where you can explain to people what you’ve done,” Coleman said, noting that every decision can have negative impacts. “You just have to be fair.”
Coleman said elected officials have become very good at spin, but not courageous enough in explaining negative effects that might occur from decisions they make.
Asked the biggest issue facing council, he said: “Trust is one of them. We have to rebuild trust.”
As council liaison to Fairfield this term, Coleman was council’s point man on a number of controversial issues, including the potential of a sewage treatment plant at Clover Point and the possibility of running dedicated bike lanes down Cook Street through the village.
In both cases, he tried to explain to residents he didn’t think the proposals would fly, but that it was important to let the process run its course.
He said there were some who were “a bit stern with me” for not being more of a firebrand on the issue. “But over time, the process actually worked out, I think,” he said.
“It’s not about who is angry today. It’s about how do we make sure some of these problems are resolved for them, and their kids and their grandkids.”
Coleman, who has a law degree and a master’s in business administration, is uncertain about his post-council future.
“I’ve been asked to think about writing. I’ve been contacted about perhaps going back and doing some teaching. There’s other irons in the fire that could be interesting.”
Coleman and Lucas are the only Victoria councillors to declare they are stepping down. All others, except Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, who is yet to announce, have indicated they will be seeking re-election.
