The Prince George municipal election has been somewhat devoid of any real election issues. We did have some discussion in regards to the road budget, however this was not really an issue, rather it was a discussion as to whether a portion of the budgeted money for paving roads should have been spent on sidewalks. The last time I looked most sidewalks are connected to roads and for all intents and purposes they are one and the same. In any event the present administration spent approximately $28 million on road rehabilitation in the past four years, and there is every indication that the same or more will be spent on roads in the next four years. A good portion of this money will come from the federal gas tax fund, as it has in the past.
The road budget is not indexed to inflation and if it were, we would then be subject to a tax increase to cover the cost of inflation. My suggestion is that the next council find another source of funding for any shortfall in the road budget due to inflation. The federal gas tax on the other hand is indexed to inflation and therefore that portion if used for roads will be covered.
So, no real issue on roads, and we should in fact be giving the present mayor and council kudos for a job well done, rather than trying to make a positive look like a negative. We need only drive around Prince George to see that there has been a significant improvement in roads over the past four years. We can, I am sure, expect a significant improvement in the next four years.
The other issue seems to be the overtime paid to city administration for time worked during the fire season of 2017, when Prince George had thousands of evacuees from other areas of the province that needed to be looked after. The overtime provisions for city management were in place when this situation arose andthis was the criteria used to establish the pay rates for those who worked overtime. The provincial government is responsible for emergency services and pays the city for any costs incurred during a crisis. Hence they paid for the overtime that was worked by city staff. No doubt there is a better and more efficient way to handle these types of situations and as far as I know the city did a better job in 2018 and will do even better in the coming years.
I think we need to keep in mind that we were all caught by surprise by the huge numbers of fires in Northern B.C. and in actual fact those involved did a good job under the circumstances, so lets give credit where credit is due, and move on.
Now for the election. We have a present council that for all intents and purposes have done a good job over the past four years, and in my opinion those who are running again deserve our support. We have a progressive thinking council who are willing to listen to people and who try and do the right thing. We have a mayor who represents the city well and is approachable and willing to listen to people concerns.This council has served us well for the past four years, and I am sure they will do the same for the next four.
The real problem comes in filling the two seats left vacant by Albert Koehler and Jillian Merrick. We have a number of good, young, qualified candidates running for council and they have some good ideas to bring to council, not the least of which is working to solve the homeless problem in this city.We need to support these candidates and get them into council so that they can be part of the future of this city. A few fresh faces at the council table would be terrific.
Last but not least is voter apathy. This election more than ever requires us to make an extra effort to get to the polls and vote. What we do in this election sets the table for the next election in four years, which will, in my opinion, be a real donnybrook.
Let's show the candidates that we appreciate them running for council and trying to make Prince George a better place. Take some time out of your busy day on Saturday and cast your vote.
We the voters have a part to play in these elections and that part requires us to vote. Let's make a concerted effort in this election and in future elections to increase voter turnout.
Eric Allen
Prince George
