On Oct. 20, Prince George residents will pick one mayor, eight councillors and five school trustees. The ballot will have two mayoral candidates, 13 councillor candidates and 11 school trustee candidates. There are also 15 candidates running in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.
PrinceGeorgeMatters has sent out a list of questions to those vying for a seat in public office.
Name: Murry Krause
Running for: City councillor
Age: 68
Number of years lived in Prince George: Born and raised, except for several years as a child and young adult.
Current neighbourhood: North side of Nechako River
Occupation: Social development
Reason community would recognize your name: Community involvement and six terms on city council
What is the most important issue facing Prince George, and how do you propose to deal with it?
There are multiple issues that need to be worked on simultaneously, but affordable housing is high on the list. Need to continue to support new rental multi-family developments. Work with the province and federal governments to ensure that Prince George gets its fair share of available funding.
How should Prince George address the issue of crime in the city?
Continue to support the RCMP, but the RCMP cannot do it all. Support alternative sentencing, restorative justice, and effective responses to root causes.
What is your specific reason for running?
Continue the work that I have undertaken and championed in the past six terms. We cannot achieve all that we could be without being a healthy community.
Where can the city spend less?
Spending relates to service provision. So, if I were to suggest that spending be cut in any area, it would have to be an area where I thought the residents were prepared to receive less service. When we’ve done budget surveys over the years, we haven’t found conclusive answers to where residents were prepared to accept less service.
Where should the city be investing more?
The city should be investing more in aging infrastructure. Like most local governments across the county, the city’s infrastructure is aging. In Prince George in particular, we need to spend more keeping up with major repairs and replacements of civic facilities, such as a new Fire Hall #1 and new swimming pool. Aging arenas might also fit into the infrastructure that should be replaced in the not-too-distant future.
What new business or feature would you like to see in Prince George?
The wrap-around health centre that has been talked about for some time in downtown Prince George.
Next time you’re walking in the woods and you come face-to-face with a Sasquatch, what do you do?
It might be nice to think that I’d get to know him or her and find out if they’ve been completely understood, but I’d probably run.
If the next city council does something film-worthy, who would play you in the film?
This really is a no-win question. If I needed to choose someone, I’d go with Ryan Gosling who has a reputation of being kind and a decent human being.
Complete the sentence...
When I’m not at home or at work, you can find me:..in a meeting room somewhere.
The most random, yet interesting fact about me is: I sang in folk and country bands in my teens and early 20s.
My favourite beverage is: I should probably say something like water, but it’s beer.
For Christmas/Hanukkah/the gift-giving season, I would like:...you to give to your favourite charity.
The best park in/near to Prince George is: The Ancient Forest
If Prince George didn’t exist, I’d be living in: Wells, B.C.
When I need some pump-up music, I listen to: Bonnie Raitt
