Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK

VERNON - The 2018 municipal election campaign is now well under way and candidates have until Oct. 20 to get their names out there in front of voters, but there's a few candidates you may have already heard of. 

This should be an interesting election because only three incumbents — Scott Anderson, Dalvir Nahal and Brian Quiring — are pushing for re-election. Incumbents generally have advantages over challengers because voters likely already know them — and how they vote. If that holds true and they are re-elected, that would still leave three positions wide open, but among the 17 candidates for council, here's five candidates with name recognition, community cred and some even have endorsements.

These, of course, are not our endorsements, but if you think a candidate belongs on the list, let us know in the comments.  

READ MORE: iN Video: What a city councillor actually does.

Teresa Durning

Image Credit: Facebook

The owner of Durning Directions, Teresa Durning, received a nomination for Community Leader of the Year in 2017. She does volunteer work for organizations like BC 55+ Games, Queen Silver Star Excellence Program and does public relations for the Special Olympics Vernon BC Winter Games 2019. Her platform chiefly stands on improving public safety, supporting attainable housing, money management and infrastructure, and environmental and emergency preparedness. Mayor Akbal Mund has expressed support for her.

Kelly Fehr

Image Credit: SUBMITTED

Co-Executive Director of Turning Points Collaborative Society, Kelly Fehr has spent the past 11 years focusing on housing, poverty and addictions recovery programs. He has sat on several committees such as the Housing First committee, Opioid Response committee, and Recovery Day Okanagan to name a few. He has worked with stakeholders to win some gains for Vernon such as an $11 million provincial investment to establish temporary and permanent supported housing, which also created 27 full time jobs in 2018. The North Okanagan Labour council has endorsed him.

Kari Gares

Image Credit: SUBMITTED

A mortgage broker in Vernon, politics runs in Kari Gares' blood as her grandfather was an alderman for the City of Vernon in the early 60s. This is not Kari Gares’ first time running for council. In 2014 she missed qualifying for city council with 224 votes behind Scott Anderson. She sits on the board of directors of the Vernon & District Community Land Trust which helps to increase the amount of affordable housing for low to moderate income families. Her website says she sponsors sports and art-related community events.

Rick Lavin

Image Credit: Twitter/Rick Lavin

Rick Lavin spent 30 years in the RCMP before he retired. On his website he discusses working with police and businesses to optimize the police force already in place so that taxpayer money is not spent hiring more officers. Earlier this year he sat on the City of Vernon's Activate Safety Task Force and previously held the position of the interim executive director of the Upper Room Mission. Lavin supports the Cultural Centre, adding residential units to improve housing affordability, and social programs like Partners-in-Action and the Social Planning Council.

Akbal Mund

Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

The mayor of Vernon, Akbal Mund, decided not to run for a second term however he is running for a seat on city council. In the press conference when he announced he would not be seeking re-election he did not choose one single achievement as his greatest while on council, but attributed the city’s achievements to the entire council. Much of their achievements pertained to community and infrastructure such as the 30th Street road reconstruction and bike lanes. Mund also supports the Cultural Centre.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2018