I grew up in rural Alberta just outside a small city called St.Albert. I was very fortunate to be raised by a wonderful mom and dad who taught me right from wrong and a hard work ethic. I moved to Nanaimo five years ago from Victoria. I made this move for a couple of reasons. To get away from the crime, the general direction the city of Victoria was heading and to be closer to my family. I love Nanaimo very much, and with having my parents here I am able to spend much time with them taking care of them and their needs.
I never thought I would be a politician, however in the last several years I realized that we are going in the wrong direction as a city and we need to get our priorities back on track. My home taxes and the home taxes of many of my friends and family have almost doubled in the last five years and I do not see value for the money spent. I also find the crime situation to be getting out of hand. I have a clear action plan to solve some of these problems and please refer to my platform for more information regarding that plan.
Professionally I hold a NACE peer level coating inspector certification. In my profession I need and have the ability to read detailed specifications and complete the process of converting that information into real-world applications and completing projects according to contract specifications. This gives me the ability to be extremely analytical and pragmatic while approaching complex issues and planning, and ultimately bringing all of this to fruition.
I have taken time off from my profession so I have plenty of free time to focus on the city of Nanaimo and the multitude of issues that need to be addressed in a timely manner to improve this great city of ours
Mike Hartlaub