Ahead of the Oct. 17 municipal election, CFJC Today asked candidates for Kamloops City Council to complete a questionnaire, offering voters the chance to evaluate their candidacies.
QUESTIONNAIRE:
Describe yourself, your professional background, and why you’re running for public office in Kamloops?
I’m a 30-year resident of Kamloops. Proud parent, grandparent and a millwright by trade. I’ve been a member of our union executive for 15 years, pension officer for 15 years, collective bargaining wage delegate for three contracts. Two years ago, I was elected to a trustee position on the Pulp and Paper Pension Plan representing over 5,000 active members and almost 12,000 retirees in our province. I have been a member of a non-profit society for 17 years and the chair of said society for the past decade.
I am running for city council because our community deserves leadership it can trust. My goal is to strengthen our city’s reputation and ensure decisions are made with transparency and accountability. I bring a commitment to strong leadership, fiscal responsibility, good governance, ethical decision making and moral accountability. I believe public office is a responsibility, not a privilege. Residents deserve leaders who listen, communicate openly and take responsibility for the decisions they make.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the City of Kamloops and how would you use your elected position to address it?
Public Safety! Crime and street disorder are affecting our community, and people deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, on their streets and in the downtown area. I would bring council together around a clear public safety agenda and then build an alliance with communities across the province facing the same issues. Working together, we can lobby the provincial and federal government to make the needed changes to our laws and Criminal Codes so that our courts and first responders have the tools they need to respond effectively to crime and disorder. This is not about pointing fingers. It’s about leadership, cooperation and action.
Following a term highlighted by infighting and tension at city hall that impacted Kamloops’ public image, how would you ensure civil discourse and good governance would take place between yourself, fellow elected officials and city staff?
“Respect” first and foremost then communication, encouragement, empowerment. Everyone brings something different to the table. Capitalizing on those differences and perspectives will help make us a stronger council. A group you can be proud of!
Considering recent years of large municipal tax increases in Kamloops, how would you address the city’s tax rate going forward?
Look inward first. Make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our costs down without having to cut services and only doing what needs to be done infrastructure wise is a good place to start. With having to build a new RCMP detachment in the queue and hopefully no cost overruns on our current projects honestly, I’m just not sure how it’s all going to play out.
As major infrastructure projects are on the horizon in Kamloops, how would you prefer the city go about gaining the electorate’s approval – via referendum or the alternative approval process (AAP)? Why?
Referendum! Aside from starting with a 100 per cent YES vote, the (AAP) is not user friendly and very cumbersome to navigate. We average about a 33 per cent voter turnout for a well-advertised municipal election so getting 10 per cent to vote NO using that process was in my view a guaranteed win.
What are your thoughts on communication between the City of Kamloops and its residents? Are there areas of improvement you’d like to see?
I believe opening the doors to city council meetings is a necessary step towards greater accountability and transparency. The public deserves to be heard and to have the opportunity to ask the hard questions when needed. Open dialogue and public participation are important parts of a healthy community and functioning democracy. At the same time, we must keep in mind that being respectful is paramount. We can ask questions, challenge decisions, and demand accountability while being respectful to each other.
