A 91原创 City councillor has thrown her hat into the ring as the race to replace retiring Mayor Ted Schaffer begins.
Coun. Val van den Broek made the announcement Saturday.
鈥淚 am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for 91原创 City mayor,鈥� van den Broek said in a statement.
She was elected to the council in 2014, after spending the previous eight years as the 91原创 City Community Police Office coordinator.
Van den Broek said that has helped her understand the capabilities and limitations of local government.
鈥淲e need to continue to focus on transportation, revitalization, and social issues and to collaborate with other levels of government, community partners, and local businesses,鈥� she said. 鈥淏y refreshing playgrounds, parks, nature trails, creating dog parks and community gardens we will provide positive spaces to foster positive relationships.鈥�
Schaffer announced his upcoming retirement several months ago.
Van den Broek is the first candidate to officially declare she will run for the vacant mayoral seat. Several other councillors have already said they plan to run for council seats again.
The election will be held this October, the first following several rule changes, including the shift to four-year terms and a ban on corporate and union donations to municipal political campaigns.
