James Bell is running for both New Westminster council and New Westminster board of education.
Bell, who has lived in New Westminster off and on for the past five decades, said he's qualified for both jobs after serving one term as a school trustee in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.
The Glenbrook area resident said he would like to see more cooperation between council and the school board, particularly in getting the new high school built.
Also on the education front, Bell would like to see more emphasis put on educating students here in New Westminster, rather than on international education programs the district has in Asia and he would like to see the secretary-treasurer of the school district appointed by city council.
"I'd like to see some more city input into the schools," said Bell. "I don't have a specific plan."
Bell, who moved here from Saskatchewan when he was 16, went to New Westminster Secondary School and is the father of 10, three boys and seven girls. He also went to UBC and has held a variety of jobs in the past three decades, including being a certified millwright, electrical contractor and longshoreman.
He has run for mayor of New Westminster in the past and believes he could serve as both a councillor and as a school trustee at the same time.
"I've had a very diverse life and those are the life experiences I bring," said Bell. "Maybe it's time to make some changes on council and school board."
