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.
Occupation(s) (past and/or present): Mayor, City of Prince George, director, RDFFG, former marketing director, Concept Design
Community involvement and contributions: Co-Chair, 2015 Canada Winter Games Bid Committee, Volunteer Co-Chair, 2007 RBC National Jr. A Hockey Championship, Volunteer Sport Chair, 2008 BC Seniors Games, Volunteer Chair, City of PG Trails Task Force, Coach for Youth Soccer and Youth Baseball.
Other pertinent qualifications: 15 years on city council, chair, Community Energy Association of BC, past president and life member, North Central Local Government Association, former director, Union of BC Municipalities, former chair, PG Aquatic Centre Building Committee, former member, PG Multiplex Building Committee
Why are you running for council? I got involved in the community as a volunteer because I thought I could make a positive contribution. It's the same reason why I'm running for re-election as mayor. I love this city. It's been great to me and my family and I want to make it even better by building on the positive achievements of the past three years.
What can you uniquely bring to the city? I bring a wealth of experience and a positive attitude. My diverse experiences have shaped a balanced and inclusive leadership style and also taught me what it takes to achieve success.
My involvement in local government since 1993, combined with the strong relationships I have forged at the regional, provincial, and national level will continue to be a great asset in tackling the complex challenges we face.
What are your most pressing issues? Better roads, stronger neighbourhoods, and better business. We've shifted our priorities to allocate more money to fix our roads but we can do more. We must strengthen our neighbourhoods by being more responsive to their local priorities and giving people greater say and involvement in how money is spent in their neighbourhood.
Better business means building on our strength as a resource centre and a transportation hub. We must take advantage of the profile that comes with hosting the Canada Winter Games to attract new investment. Better business also means building on our relationship with UNBC and CNC to create a stronger knowledge based economy.
We must also continue efforts to keep taxes in check while staying focused on improving air quality, reducing crime, and creating a clean and healthy city.
How do you propose to address those issues? Through dedication and commitment to results, innovation in the services we provide, and through community collaboration.
What do you hope to accomplish in your three-year term should you be elected?
Increase road rehabilitation budget from current $3.5 million to a minimum of $4.25 million by 2014.
Align economic development efforts with UNBC and CNC to ensure we bring life to the statement "A knowledge based resource economy connected to the world."
Continue developing a sustainable financial plan that keeps taxes in check and spending in line with inflation.
Complete facility improvements for Canada Games on time and on budget and host a number of national pre-games test events.
Improve our image to attract new investment.
