Former Vernon mayor reverses decision to run in upcoming election

VERNON – Former Vernon Mayor Wayne Lippert has announced he will not be running in the upcoming election.

Lippert, who was mayor from 2005 to 2011, had previously said he would try to get his old job back and run as a mayoral candidate in this fall's election. He has since had a change of heart because of family commitments.

"It was a tough decision, we were going back and forth but at the end of the day I have to go with my family and put family first," he says. Lippert was mayor 2005 to 2011.

He says his father-in-law recently passed away and he couldn't commit 100 per cent of his time and energy to the campaign, which wasn't fair to the other candidates or the people of Vernon.

Lippert won't endorse another candidate until the nominations were closed and all the candidates had been declared.

He may return to politics in the future.

"I learnt a long time ago, to never say never," he says.

So far addictions specialist Darrin Taylor and former mayoral challenger Victor Cummings, along with Art Gourley, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for council in 2014, have said they will run for mayor.

The current mayor Akbal Mund has not yet said whether he will run again.

Candidates have from Sept. 4 until Sept. 10 to register.

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