Itani enters council race

Beryl Itani is taking the political plunge.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Beryl Itani is running for a seat on City Council

She announced Tuesday morning she is entering the race to try and earn one of eight seats on Kelowna City Council.

Itani, 76, was the head of Emergency Social Services in 2003 when about 30,000 people were evacuated during the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.

She says the time is right to run.

"Things in my life have changed and I need a new focus and I need a new challenge," says Itani who doesn't think age should be a concern.

"I have found much encouragement over the last two weeks so I have decided this is the right time."

While taxation has been pushed to the front of this campaign, Itani says she is running on three social issues.

"My concerns are we don't have enough general practitioners in our community and we need to be proactive with Interior Health regarding that.

I am concerned one in every six children in our community is getting food from the food bank."

Itani also wants to focus on affordable housing.

"Not just for those people in the low income bracket but for the young people in our community and for the people who are moving to this community and can't find affordable housing so they leave and go somewhere else."

As for a tax freeze being touted by some candidates, Itani says that concerns her.

"That affects all our social services, our firefighters, our police...it affects all the people that work in our community."

"We need these people, we need these services. We need to keep our cities safe so I just don't think this can be done."

Itani says she expects to file her nomination papers Wednesday morning before leaving for a previously planned vacation.

The period to file nomination papers runs until Friday, Oct 10 at 4 p.m.

Voters go to the polls Saturday, Nov 15.