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Mr. Rogers |
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Written by Citizen staff
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
There will be a new face in the mayor's chair for the first time in 12 years and it comes at a pivotal time in Prince George's history.
The city has clearly not been immune to negative economic factors that are buffeting the globe, but it's evident Prince George is in a much better position to weather the storm than it was 25 years ago. It's a sign of the city's maturity and its development of a stronger economic foundation that is less affected by the volatility of forestry.
That said, the next three years in Prince George will be extremely challenging -- and no less so than for the next mayor and eight city councillors.
Voters are fortunate to have two capable, experienced candidates seeking the mayor's office -- Dan Rogers and Don Zurowski.
Both have deservedly been top vote-getters in the last several elections and have been unquestioned leaders on city council.
We would be comfortable with either person as mayor but, like voters, a choice has to be made and our choice is Rogers.
Three years ago Rogers left council to challenge Mayor Colin Kinsley but lost a tight race. He's used his three years out of office wisely by developing a better grasp of where he stands on the issues. He's become a more forceful, articulate candidate with a well thought out vision for the city and its major challenges. We like his idea of linking taxes to the rise in the cost of living, and talk of a debt-reduction strategy. Community involvement in setting budget priorities also makes sense.
Zurowski ran a strong campaign and definitely has the intelligence and background to be an effective mayor, but we see in Zurowski a similarity to the 2005 Rogers. Zurowski wasn't as polished or articulate in the campaign as he could have been and tended to rely on an impressive assortment of facts to make his points, rather than offering clear ideas or direction. Leadership is about taking a stand, and often Zurowski seemed to be reluctant to offend one side or another on an issue.
If he doesn't win, we'd like to see Zurowski run again in three years, particularly if Rogers falters.
With the economic challenges facing Prince George, the mayor and council will be expected to take bold stands and run the city as the business it is.
There will be at least two new faces on city council because of vacancies created by Zurowski and Sherry Sethen, who is stepping down after two terms.
Incumbents Murry Krause, Debora Munoz and Brian Skakun should be returned. A longtime social conscience on council, Krause will be particularly effective in forwarding a Housing First strategy for getting the city's homeless off the streets and into a stable environment.
Both Skakun and Munoz have had their moments, both good and bad, but they've certainly gone against the flow on a handful of issues and were sometimes right in doing so. Their experience combined with their critical thinking on many issues make them good choices.
Garth Frizzell leads an impressive group of top-tier challengers. He has a strong grasp of the issues thanks to his extensive participation on a long list of committees and his experience as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Plus, he's a downtown business owner and he's young -- a quality that's missing in the current long-in-the-tooth group.
Shari Green is another downtown business owner and is unabashed about her concern for that part of town. The state of downtown is an important issue and perhaps with Green being on council it would be dealt with that much more quickly. She doesn't seem to be the type who will linger once that item has been addressed to her satisfaction.
As a lawyer, Dave Wilbur would be helpful in guiding council through legal tangles. (Wouldn't he have been useful during the Hockey Enforcers controversy?) Just as important, Wilbur's involvement with the Prince George Airport Authority means he knows plenty about effectively lobbying higher levels of government. He comes across as low-key but his substance makes up for it. Would make a good representative on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
MaryAnne Arcand's rating dropped from "definitely" to "on the bubble" after she failed to answer a questionnaire from the People's Action Committee on Healthy Air. But to that point she seemed to have both the track record and the drive to deliver on the items that matter most to voters and should get the benefit of the doubt.
Cameron Stolz was a virtual unknown but performed strongly at candidate forums and this straight-talker sounds willing to take a good, hard look at city spending. He's shown backbone and his business experience would be an asset.
City council has needed an injection of new blood for some time and we believe this group represents a strong blend of experience, promise and a fresh approach to conducting city affairs.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 November 2008 )
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I applaud the editorial board or their efforts.