Recently declared 91原创 City Council candidate Randy Caine said instead of seeking a councillor鈥檚 seat, he will run for mayor if former 91原创 City mayor Peter Fassbender decides to re-enter municipal politics.

鈥淚f he (Fassbender) chooses to run for mayor, I would, too,鈥� Caine said Sunday .

鈥淏e assured, I would love a public debate with him.鈥�

Fassbender, who confirmed last week that he is considering running for the mayor鈥檚 job in the City, responded by saying he would be willing to debate any candidate, but anyone running for office should be doing it for more than that.

鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer in democracy,鈥� Fassbender said.

鈥淚 hope that anyone who is running for mayor or any other office is doing so because they have a vision for the community.鈥�

Fassbender, the former Liberal minister of education and later minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and minister responsible for TransLink, was mayor of 91原创 City in 2011 when a police raid forced the closure of Caine鈥檚 medicinal marijuana dispensary on the Fraser Highway.

The dispensary was located in a condo unit next to a suite that City councillor Rudy Storteboom owned.

Storteboom and Fassbender confirmed they discussed the councillors concern鈥檚 about the dispensary and the mayor said he told the councillor if the strata council that represented the owners believed illegal activities were being carried out, they should go to the police.

Fassbender also attended an annual general meeting of the building owners .

He said he was invited by the building manager and strata president (not Storteboom) to explain the city鈥檚 position that marijuana dispensaries or compassion clubs were not legal operations.

Caine also attended the meeting and called the mayor鈥檚 comments 鈥渓udicrous.鈥�

Fassbender said council had nothing to do with the raid, but had unanimously voted against a medical marijuana dispensary during a closed-door meeting a few months previously based on legal advice that the dispensary violated federal government laws.

Caine was charged after the raid with one count of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, which was later dropped.

He pleaded guilty to less serious violations of exceeding the amount of marijuana he was legally allowed to sell under his Health Canada licence and of storing it improperly.

Caine was then granted an absolute discharge on those counts, meaning there was no conviction on his record.

dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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