The former mayor of Kelowna, B.C. is fighting to get his job back in an election campaign pitting development against sustainability.
Just before the civic election of 2008, the city was considering developer-backed plans to dramatically alter the downtown area and allow highrises as tall as 27 storeys.
But when the new council came in, led by returning Mayor Sharon Shepherd, the plans were put on hold and eventually failed.
That prompted her predecessor, 71-year-old Walter Gray, to come out of political retirement.
"A lot of money was wasted -- taxpayers' money, developers' money-- but worse than that, the confidence in the business community and the potential investors has simply evaporated," he told CTV News.
He's accusing Shepherd of running a flailing, indecisive council: "putting things off, not being able to decide, spending money on studies."
Shepherd took on her challenger at a recent debate, asking him to come up with more examples of her indecisiveness.
"He couldn't bring up two issues, so from my perspective, I don't think there is credibility," she said. "I am a very decisive person."
She says that giving proper consideration to major decisions is council's job.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
