City hall shakeup: Another Victoria councillor not seeking re-election

(Jeremy Loveday / Facebook)

Significant changes are coming to Victoria city council as councillor Jeremy Loveday has announced he is not running for re-election this year.

Loveday has been a councillor for eight years and joins three other councillors who have already announced they're not seeking re-election in the municipal election in October.

Two other councillors have also forfeited their seats in their bid for city mayor, while Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps had previously announced she's not running for re-election.

• 'No more politics': Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps not seeking re-election next year

Loveday said he was planning to leave the council table in a statement Sunday evening.

He said he was grateful for the support of his family and friends during his time on city council, and had considered running again for a third term.

"I always planned on serving on council for two terms, but I strongly considered running again when it became clear there would be significant turnover on council," he said.

"I was honoured to be approached by many people who said they would value my continued contributions, however, I have decided that it is time for me to move on to new challenges and opportunities," he said.

Loveday says some of his career highlights as a councilmember include initiatives in public transportation, like helping build out free BC Transit fare for youth and developing the city's cycling network – as well as supporting the growth of pedestrian spaces and making street-side patios permanent in the city.

Moving forward, Loveday says he plans to complete his MBA (Master of Business Administration) and finish his poetry book, which is slated for publication in October.

The other councillors who have announced they're not seeking re-election include Geoff Young, Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Sharmarke Dubow.