Victoria’s new council members were sworn in Thursday, with a warning from the city’s mayor: They’ll have to make difficult decisions with limited funds. In her inaugural address, Mayor Marianne Alto said she has high expectations for her colleagues, who have been tasked with responding to housing, affordability and public safety issues in the capital city. “There is no new money coming,” Alto said. “What we choose to do that is new must be done in place of something already planned.” Council will soon begin work on the 2027 budget, along with a strategic plan for the next four years. Alto said the city will build on the previous council’s work, which included approving more than 8,700 housing units and launching a sweeping community safety and well-being plan. “I wanted to flag for the council and the public, but mostly for council to say, ‘OK, this is a turbulent time with many demands. I’m going to expect more of you,’” Alto said. Voters elected three new councillors in the civic election, including Wendy Bowkett, Melissa Cseszko and Jack Sandor. Councillors Jeremy Caradonna, Matt Dell, Marg Gardiner, Stephen Hammond and Dave Thompson have all returned for a second term. Cseszko, a downtown business owner, said she ran for council to help make the city’s core more vibrant. “It was hard watching businesses around me struggle,” Cseszko said in an interview after the swearing-in ceremony. “They’re having trouble getting people to come downtown. We have competition with other areas of the Island. And with parking, safety, all these different things. It’s really affected how we do business.” Ceremony draws protesters As councillors swore their oaths and signed the necessary paperwork, protesters could be heard in the park below council chambers. Roughly 20 people showed up to protest Bowkett’s swearing-in. She is a former president of the Victoria Downtown Residents’ Association and has drawn public criticism for social media posts that perpetuate anti-transgender rhetoric. “We want to demand better standards for council,” said protest organizer Eddi Wilson. “We want to be sure that our council members will abide by the code of conduct.” Bowkett told reporters she is not transphobic. “I just have a point of view that respects women and girls’ rights. And leave children alone,” she said. “That’s really all I’ve ever said. And the community exists in a multitude beyond that frame.” During Thursday’s ceremony, two of her fellow councillors wore symbols of support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Thompson wore a pride-flag tie, while Sandor wore a trans-flag pin. Bowkett said she is eager to meet and work with people who have different perspectives. She identified priorities that overlap with those of her colleagues, including safety, parking and controlled spending. “We need to return to civil dialogue, respectful debate and actually greater social cohesion,” she said. Mayor urges civility Bowkett’s call for civil discourse echoes a sentiment repeated throughout Alto’s inaugural address. Alto said that in recent years, it has become more common for council to hear inflammatory remarks during public presentations. “We will explore more clear guidelines on what matters are relevant for an address to council and what constitutes bullying, harassment and hate speech,” she said. In early October, Alto barred a speaker from making a presentation related to the Israel-Hamas war because it focused on a particular local Jewish centre and rabbi. The mayor said criticizing a politician or city policy is acceptable, but targeting private citizens is not.
