Fred Haynes

Mayoralty Haynes ran for mayor in the 2018 municipal elections, taking on incumbent mayor Richard Atwell. Haynes defeated Atwell by nearly 5,000 votes, winning with 48 per cent of the vote. The election was embroiled in some legal confrontation. The strategy's intention was to build on existing actions, support partnerships, and focus on efforts on areas within municipal influence, and be focused on urban areas near centres, villages and corridors, with the intention of addressing climate change, preserving the natural environment, achieving transit-oriented development, and building walkable and healthy communities.

At the 2019 Union of BC Municipalities conference, Haynes indicated his support for lowering the voting age in municipal elections to 16.

In 2022, he brought forward a new resolution to Council, that Saanich explore using its municipal lands for co-op housing.

During his time as Mayor, the municipality won several awards for their climate action policies and initiatives. Saanich also adopted a plan to ban single-use plastic grocery bags.

As Mayor of Saanich, he served as Chair of the Saanich Police board, and oversaw the installation of two police chiefs, Scott Green and Dean Duffy who were appointed under the new fixed-term contract agreement.

Defeat A year before the 2022 municipal elections, Haynes announced he was running for re-election, citing "progress on climate action, road safety, equity and diversity and housing" as his accomplishments as mayor. Haynes lost his attempt at re-election to former councillor Dean Murdock by just 152 votes. During the campaign, Murdock criticized Haynes for "the slow pace of progress.. on the affordability crisis".

Following his defeat, he was fined $150 by Elections BC for "not including an authorization statement on display advertising."