Ex-Penticton mayor going for 3
Mike Pearce campaigning to lead White Rock
After being away from the political arena for seven years, former Penticton mayor Mike Pearce has discovered much has changed.
Pearce, who was mayor of both Quesnel (1980-1990) and Penticton (1999-2002), could become the first person in B.C. to be mayor in three different municipalities if elected in White Rock on Oct. 20.
“Overall, it’s going the way I had anticipated it would go,” said Pearce said, who is running as an independent.
“Relative to Penticton and Quesnel, I’m not as well known. I don’t have a law practice here. We have party politics down here. In a community of 19,000 people, we have the Democracy Direct party and The Coalition. People, I believe, want to get rid of The Coalition, which controlled the political scene the last cycle.”
Mayor Wayne Baldwin is not seeking re-election.
There are six running for mayor, including one present city councillor.
The greatest challenge for Pearce is name recognition, he said. He has only lived in White Rock for four years. In 2015, he sold his Penticton law practice and retired to White Rock. With 24 years experience in municipal government, plus 40 years as a lawyer (he was named Queens Counsel), he believes he still has much to offer.
“I’ve always been interested in politics, so here I go,” he said. “I was looking for something to do that will help the community. I took apart their budget last year and offered the existing mayor to put me on whatever (committee) ... and he ignored me.”
From his 1978 start in politics to now, Pearce has noticed a spike in candidate forums. Many are organized by strata councils and specialinterest groups. The days of one major event have gone the wayside in some communities, he said.
“We have a lot of stratas here. You get into a public meeting place that’s cramped. There are so many people running and in a short period of time you have to get up and give your platform,” he said.
Even in the day of digital media, much has remained the same. He’s still using old-school methods such as door knocking and handshaking at public events.
“We’re doing a very aggressive social media campaign, but you still need traditional forms of advertising
such as newspapers, because some older people don’t use computers or they don’t rely on computers as their sole source of information.”
Spending limits are also new. The maximum a candidate may spend of their own money is $2,400. Private donations may not exceed $1,200 and contributions from business and unions are now illegal.
“The cap on financing is something I haven’t seen before,” he said. “Here, in White Rock, a mayor may not spend more than $17,500 or a council candidate $8,000. It has created some challenges because you now have to raise money and not be self-financed.”
With 14 days remaining before election day, Pearce is enjoying being back out on the campaign trail.
“A campaign can take a lot of unexpected twists and turns, so it’s still a case of let’s wait and see how it goes,” he said.