Prince George goes to the polls Nov. 19 to determine who will be their municipal leaders for the next three years.
In an effort to better inform the community on the 24 candidates running for a seat on Prince George municipal council, The Citizen sent out a form to all hopefuls with a series of questions that we hope will reveal their histories, priorities, qualifications and personalities.
Here are what they had to say.
Candidate questionnaire:
1. Name: Cameron Stolz
2. Occupation(s) (past and/or present): Business owner for 21 years - Great White Toys - Comics - Games
3. Community involvement and contributions: I have been involved in our soccer community since I was 12 years old. I still spend time refereeing when I'm not cheering on my own children as they participate in youth soccer.
I have been an active member in my church, having served on the Sacred Heart Parish council and as the vice-chair of the finance council.
4. Other pertinent qualifications: Councillor, City of Prince George 2008 - present
5. Why are you running for council? Prince George is at a critical juncture, similar to where it was in the early 1960s. If we are ready, we can capture many of the opportunities that are before us. If we do nothing but hold meetings and conduct studies - we will watch it pass us by.
I want to ensure that we seize every one of those opportunities and I will act decisively to do so.
After all, it's my children's future too.
6. What can you uniquely bring to the city?
A focus on how we can bring better value to our city and build a stronger community.
An understanding of the changes needed to attract business and new development.
Ability to find efficiencies within city hall such as the way city vehicles were purchased which saved taxpayers $750,000 a year.
An exceptional work ethic. In addition, I have never missed a council meeting or a finance and audit meeting
A common sense approach that asks the tough questions.
7. What are your most pressing issues? For me, the three most pressing issues are better roads, responsible spending, and common sense.
8. How do you propose to address those issues?
Better roads
Increase the city's annual repaving by another 40 per cent
Find better ways to patch potholes before and after the paving season
Common sense
Continue to develop tools that help the RCMP fight organized crime
Ensure that the city achieves the maximum benefit from the Wood Innovation campus in our downtown
Continuing to ask the tough questions
Responsible spending
Review all city operations for efficiencies, opportunities to streamline, modernize and reduce costs
Review all major projects for cost savings
9. What do you hope to accomplish in your three-year term should you be elected? As 1 of 9 at the council table, I will work to bring a team approach to accomplishing the following goals:
Review all city operations
Reallocate resources so that we are no longer falling further behind on our annual road repaving
Conduct a full review of our water and sewer utilities to ensure that they are sustainable
Develop/implement tools that further assist the RCMP in fighting organized crime
