Nanaimo Voted—But Where Was the Tax Debate?

 

Roughly 68% of eligible Nanaimo voters did not cast a ballot. Those who did elected a mayor with 41% of the valid mayoral vote. Neither figure amounts to overwhelming public endorsement of City Hall’s direction.

Leonard Krog won fairly under the rules, receiving 10,368 votes. But approximately 59% of mayoral voters chose someone else. His support represented roughly 13% of the eligible electorate, using the reported preliminary turnout figures.

What did this election settle about taxes and spending?

From my observation of the campaign, outside Voice of Nanaimo’s coverage, municipal taxes and spending received little sustained public scrutiny. There was no meaningful public debate that forced candidates to defend the spending trajectory or explain what they would change.

Candidates should have faced straightforward questions:

• What services are essential?
• What spending should be reconsidered?
• Would they support an independent Core Services Review and a Taxpayer Affordability Study?
• How much more can households reasonably absorb?

Without that debate, we cannot conclude that voters endorsed continued increases. The issue was never properly put before them.

And what of those who stayed home? Some may have thought, “It doesn’t matter who wins. They’ll raise my taxes anyway.” That is a possibility, not a finding. We need to ask non-voters rather than assign motives to them.

The new council has the authority to govern. It also has a responsibility to explain its choices to the whole community.

An election that barely debated taxes cannot reasonably be presented as public approval to keep raising them.

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Opinion and commentary. Figures are based on preliminary election results and reported turnout of 31.63%. The share of eligible voters is approximate.

Election results: City of Nanaimo — 2026 municipal election.