Supporters rally for mayoral candidate, dispute Pollard flier
With just over a week left before the election, key supporters of mayoral candidate Tim Leavitt gathered at City Hall on Monday to show him their support — and rail on Mayor Royce Pollard on public safety and what they said are misleading campaign tactics.
Leavitt was joined by the head of the city’s police union, which has endorsed Leavitt, and several local mothers who spoke out against a recent flier mailed by Pollard’s campaign.
“It’s time for leadership that understands and supports public safety,” said Ryan Martin, president of the 185-member Vancouver Police Officers Guild.
The number of Vancouver police officers now stands at 1.1 per 1,000 people — well below a nationally recommended level of 2.5 per 1,000, he said.
Martin also said the city police department is plagued by poor leadership, which has led to numerous lawsuits filed by members of his union against the city.
The guild president said that while Pollard has sent information to voters saying that Leavitt has voted against public safety measures, that is not the case.
“Tim has remained on a higher ground and stood up to lies and deceit,” Martin said. “He’s not sinking to a lower level and not engaging in politics we think are dirty.”
However, Pollard’s campaign said that Leavitt’s “weak” record on public safety stands for itself.
In a press release, the campaign said that during Pollard’s tenure as mayor, Vancouver has seen a new fire station in east Vancouver, a reduction in crime, and more recently, the mayor helped secure $2.58 million for 10 new police officers.
“My opponent holding a press conference doesn’t hide his record,” Pollard said in the release. “When it comes to public safety, I’ve always led the way for America’s Vancouver. Keeping our streets safe for our families is essential, and I will never play politics with that.”
One of the mailings sent to Vancouver voters says that Leavitt voted against having police officers in city schools.
Speaking at the press conference, Leavitt supporter Amy Ruger said she doesn’t think that is the case.
“(Leavitt) argued that it would be unfair to make struggling schools pay for an officer,” said Ruger, the mother of a middle-schooler. “I believe that Tim is really focused and committed to bringing everything to the table that we need for schools.”
Leavitt said he is concerned the fliers will misinform residents.
He said he is the candidate who is focused on public safety.
“Over the last 14 years, current leadership has not prioritized public safety,” the seven-year City Council member said. “It’s time to reprioritize core services in this city.”
He said he’s concerned the fliers mailed by the Pollard campaign may misinform voters.
“Vancouver doesn’t deserve this,” Leavitt said. “If my opponent would stay focused on the issues rather than distort the facts, it assists (voters) to make better decisions.”
Pollard’s campaign manager, Marsha Manning, said there’s nothing but the truth in those fliers.
“The things we’ve put into print are facts about Tim’s voting record and we believe the public should know,” she said, adding that Leavitt’s campaign blog contains things that her side believes to be untrue as well. “They will say what they need to say and we’ll stick with the facts.”
