Delta election: A grudge match between the mayor and his former ally, or a third option?

Delta mayoral candidate Dylan Kruger (centre) flanked by Mayor George Harvie (left) and Melissa Granum at a debate on Oct. 3. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Article content

During the last civic election in Delta in 2022, Mayor George Harvie and his Achieving for Delta party cleaned up.

Article content

Harvie was re-elected with 77 per cent of the vote, and Achieving for Delta candidates took all six council seats.

Article content

Article content

But things have changed.

Article content

In 2024, four councillors from Harvie’s own party stripped Harvie of his role on Metro Vancouver’s board, where he had been chair. They also tightened controls on the mayor’s office.

Article content

Article content

Subsequently, they were all kicked out of the party.

Article content

Article content

Now Dylan Kruger — who many once saw as Harvie’s heir apparent — is running against Harvie for mayor. Kruger is leading another party, One Delta, which includes three former councillors who helped oust Harvie from Metro, Daniel Boisvert, Jennifer Johal and Rod Binder.

Article content

Harvie is running alongside the two councillors who stuck by his side, Alicia Guichon and Jessie Dosanjh, and four new candidates.

Article content

But the election is more than just a grudge match between two former allies.

Article content

A third party, Delta First, has entered the fray, with Melissa Granum running for mayor, and three council candidates. Granum has some big endorsements — two former mayors (Lois Jackson and Beth Johnson) and former MLA Vicki Huntington.

Article content

Delta Mayor George Harvie is running for a third term. He was photographed at an all-candidates debate in Delta on Oct. 3. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Article content

Having been mayor for two terms and the city manager for two decades before that, Harvie wants to stay the course. Others may argue Delta has become too developer-friendly, but he thinks the city is working.

Article content

“My platform the last election is the same as the election this time,” said Harvie. “I said that we need highrises if a developer wants to build them along Scott Road. Why? Because finally we’ve got some rapid bus transit there. When you look at other areas, I don’t support anything more than six storeys, because we don’t have the traffic infrastructure to support it.”

Article content

Article content

He says he has been “fiscally responsible.”

Article content

“My whole success of my long career was being fiscally responsible, and that’s not called Density George,” said Harvie. “It’s actually being smart in ensuring that people are getting the rightful use of their tax dollars in our city.”

Article content

Kruger said the city does need density.

Article content

“We need new housing,” said Kruger. “We need housing for young families that want to make a start in our community. We need housing for seniors that are looking to downsize and aren’t finding any options. But there has to be balance, and control has to remain with the locally elected officials.”

Article content

Both Harvie and Kruger supported Delta’s official community plan, which the city was required to update by the provincial government’s Bill 44, which required local governments to increase density.

Article content

Both Harvie and Kruger dislike Bill 44, but the community plan does allow some density, such as multiple units on formerly single-family lots.

Article content

Granum thinks the official community plan was rushed and needs to be revisited.

Article content

“I’ve knocked on thousands of doors at this point, and people are upset about how we’re developing,” said Granum.