ELECTION PRIMER: What kind of city to you want? VOTE Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Welcome to the Prince George Free Press Online Election Primer. From profiles of the candidates, WHAT KIND OF to coverage of the issues, to commentary on why this election DO YOU WANT? is important, to information you Get Informed • Get Involved Get Out And need to know on how and where Vote! to vote, it’s all here. What kind of city do you want? Get out and vote.
CITY
Newsline 250-564-0005
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Quick Look Nominations for the November 19 elections closed Friday and there are plenty of candidates in the running:
City
of
Prince George Mayor
(one to be elected) Bruce Fadar, Eugene Fetterly, Shari Green, Alex Huber, Brandon Lewis, Dan Rogers
City Council
(eight to be elected) Scot Affleck, John Beebe, Joanne Dickenson, Frank Everitt, Tony Ferreira, Dorothy Friesen, Garth Frizzell, Jordan Gadsby, Brad Gagnon, Brad Grantham, Lyn Hall, Albert Koehler, Murry Krause, Debora Munoz, Travis Shaw, Brian Skakun, Cameron Stolz, Myrt Turner, Harry Ulch, Dave Wilbur
School Board
(seven to be elected) Elona Arnett, Betty Bekkering, Trish Bella, Tim Bennett, Kris Benson, Sharon Bourassa, Andrew Burton, Kate Cooke, Valentine Crawford, Bal Gill, Brenda Hooker, Earl Krushelnicki, Shawn Peters, Don Sabo, David Sewell, Chris Taylor, Sharel Warrington, Rhonda White
Who will be mayor?
Regional District Fraser-Fort George
Electoral Area A (Salmon River-Lakes) Nancy Harris Warren Wilson Electoral Area C (Chilako River-Nechako) Lara Beckett Bill Norton Electoral Area D (Tabor Lake-Stone Creek) Shawn Creelman Claudette Currie Bill Empey
The Free Press Election Primer is Fully Downloadable as a PDF File so you can read it at your Leisure. Next Issue - City Council Candidates
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Prince George Free Press
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
■ Mayor’s Race
Shari Green makes bid for top job After serving one term on city councillor, downtown business owner sets sight high DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Councillor Sheri Green has declared her intention to run for mayor of Prince George in the upcoming municipal election. Green left the UBCM meeting in Vancouver early and called a press conference out front of her downtown store Tuesday afternoon, then made the announcement to the crowd of about 30 people gathered there. “In this election the people will have a choice for leadership,” she said. Green said she cares passionately about her civic duties and is committed to making a difference. Her slogan, ‘Let’s Get Moving’ is her own initiative, chosen because she believes it is time the city moved beyond the status quo. Green explained she first ran for council three years ago after ducking into a doorway because she heard gunfire downtown. “It was an enough-is-enough moment,” she said. The incident prompted her to run for a council seat in order to help work towards creating a better city, with a focus on
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De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Mayoralty candidate Shari Green announced her candidacy for mayor at a press conference in late September.
revitalizing the downtown area. Now the crime rate is down, which she attributed in great part to the Downtown Enforcement Unit, plus there is renewed interest in commerce in the area. “I know everybody here shares a bigger dream with me about what Prince George could be.”
Her goal, she said, is to forge a constructive, committed and functional council, and added that there have been some challenges with the present council over the last term of office. “We need to be responsible, manage our costs and live within our means.” Green promised transpar-
ency during her campaign as well as avoiding tax hikes while in office. Roads, she said, should not be neglected. The budget needs to be sustained, she said, without constantly raising taxes. Finding a way to do that means putting together a council willing to roll up its sleeves and
get to work on taking a good look at how to accomplish that goal. She added her three years on council making tough decisions qualify her for the mayor ’s chair, as does her long history as a businesswoman who has successfully led her store through the recent recession.
Alex Huber puts his hat into the mayoral race Delynda Pilon
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Putting children and families first and listening to what the citizens of Prince George want are important attributes in a mayoral candidate, according to Alex Huber. Huber announced his intention to run for the mayor’s office Wednesday. “We’ve reached a point in our great city when it’s time to take a stand,” he said. Huber believes the city should have put more consideration into building a new standalone arena, possibly downtown, rather than renovate the Kin Centre. Doing so, he said, would support recreational facilities and the families who put them to use. “They could have put a new Kin downtown to try to revive the downtown. It seems like the decision to rebuild was contrary to what people were asking. We seem to have the money for everything else except for recreational facilities for our families.” He added that the Haldi Road issue was another in which the people’s wishes were ignored. Huber said more than 500 people signed a petition saying they were against having a women’s recovery centre located in their neighbourhood, but the city zoned the land so the centre could be built anyway. He also takes issue with the new RCMP building and said though a new building was needed, it didn’t have to look like a tourist attraction. He likens some of the financial decisions made by council to a family on a budget buying ice cream before they purchase diapers
and bread. People in Prince George feel unheard by their representatives, he said. “I am hearing it’s closed government and they are unapproachable, that they make decisions contrary to what people believe or want or need. I think I would make it a point to go out and speak with people and not be unapproachable, and find out what they would truly like to see.” Huber said leadership is an important attribute in a mayor.
“A mayor needs to show leadership. He needs to steer the people and I believe I have great leadership skills.” Though he spent two years on the multicultural committee, one as vice chair and one year on the international linkages committee, Huber has not held public office before, however he believes that may be a positive thing. “Sometimes I think it’s better for somebody who hasn’t been clouded by bureaucracy and is still eager to take the helm,” he said.
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Alex Huber is one of six candidates running for mayor of Prince George De Ly nd a Pilo n/ Fre e Pre s s
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Prince George Free Press
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Rogers seeking second term ■ Mayor’s Race
Incumbent mayor looking to be re-elected DeLynda PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Incumbent mayor Dan Rogers has officially announced he will be running for another term in the upcoming election. Rogers filed his papers Wednesday and held a press conference the same evening with a broad platform, ‘for a Better Prince George’, listing three key themes: better roads, better neighbourhoods and better business. During his first campaign speech, Rogers focussed on better roads, promising to increase the budget allotment for roads to no less than $4.5 million by 2014. The city spent $3.5 million this year, the most ever in the city. “With my leadership, and the support of council, we re-prioritized our budget to ensure we invested more in fixing our roads. That was highlighted this year with a record budget for road rehabilitation of $3.5 million.” Increasing that budget through the future has been a directive of council, and Rogers said he has been an intrinsic part of the process. “It’s consistent with the strategic plan laid out,” he said, adding it will remain a priority for the next years should he be re-elected. He pointed out significant progress has been made in the downtown core over the years under his leadership. “Now we need to take the lessons we learned and start applying them to different areas,” he said, adding the downtown area would not be
forgotten. He mentioned that there is a desire for a skateboard park in the Hart Highway area and that council needs to streamline the process so communities who want to enhance themselves by adding those kinds of facilities can just go ahead and do so. “We need to empower them to make it happen.” Rogers said he welcomes Shari Green to the mayoral race. “It helps the democratic process,” he said, and pointed out this is his seventh election. One of the attributes he believes will help him to stand out next to Green is his experience in the political arena as well as the record of all that has been accomplished during his years as mayor, and previously as a councillor. Rogers has also sat on various boards and committees at the local and provincial level, and acted as a community volunteer. This unique skill set, he said, is a great asset. “I’m action-oriented and remain committed to positive change,” he said, adding he intends to remain focused on his listed priorities. He intends to spend some time during his campaign getting out and talking to people about his vision and priorities. Rogers’ platform involves a number of issues and can be read in full on his website, which goes into great detail about the priorities he feels are important to him along with local people, and how what he envisions for the future of the city can be accomplished.
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De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Dan Rogers announced in early October that he is seeking a second term as mayor.
■ Mayor’s Race
Bruce Fadar outlines optional tax plan DeLynda Pilon
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Bruce Fadar, who announced he is running for mayor of the city last week, would like to see an elective taxation process for residents rather than the current model. Fadar said this would mean sending out a list of potential capital projects to residents and allowing them to choose which they think should go ahead and which should be put on hold or cancelled all together. Mayor and council should get a summation of that information and then act according to the tax payers wishes. Essential services, he said, would not be on that list, but new infrastructure like the RCMP building to be erected downtown would be. Fadar said though the old building needed replacing he wonders why the city needs so many structures dedicated to policing. “We have four RCMP buildings and counting. I’m not sure we need them all. We need to be doing more to address crime then building more buildings,” DeLynda he said. Fadar said one of his ideas Bruce Fadar running for mayor.
PILON/Free Press
is to give back alley’s to homeowners, thus eliminating them altogether, particularly in the VLA. He said that would eliminate the dark shadowy places that attract a bad element, and thus cut down on the crime rate. He added the proposed wood innovation building could be erected on an empty lot, rather than demolish one building only to erect a new one. “We certainly could have done it for cheaper.” When it comes to roads, Fadar would like to see a more common sense approach
with a mind towards city beautification. Boulevards, he said, could be planted with flowers and trees rather than left as concrete blocks. A river wall would give pedestrians and cyclists a lovely pathway while linking bike routes. This, he added, could be tied in with tourism by bringing appropriate parties together and maybe even offering paddle wheeler rides along the river in the summer. When it comes to roadways, he would specifically like to see more thought put into Boundary Road, and said it would make more sense to tie it in with Continental Way. Foothills Boulevard, he said, should be designated a highway, making clearing and repairing it the job of the province while allowing the speed limit to be raised so it matches the posted limits on the Hart Highway. He said there are already too many traffic lights downtown, and changing the direction of the one-way streets is just a waste of money. Putting in storm drains would save asphalt, he added. “I have been driving these roads every single day and pulling my hair out regarding the lack of progress,” Fadar, who
runs a delivery company, said. Three years ago Fadar wrote a lengthy letter saying what he felt should be done to improve the city. He some of those things have happened while others have not.
Click for video] www.pgfreepress.com “I feel I can get a lot more done as mayor than I can through writing letters. The city has a vast untapped potential to be fantastic but instead we focus on the wrong things.” Fadar, who said he has a passion for the city, was asked about what has been described as a ‘racy’ video posted on his website. He explained the video was plugged in to save a hole for something different on his site, and he had forgotten all about it when he listed the site as a means of contacting him. He has since taken the video down and said he hopes his campaign doesn’t become about what he described as a mistake.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Free Press
Quick Look Here’s a list of the dates of forums that have been made public so far, which probably means all of them. • There is a full forum on Nov. 2 at Cafe Voltaire, starting at 7 p.m. • There is a forum at the Ramada Inn on Nov. 3, starting at 6 p.m. • There is a forum at the CNC Atrium on Nov. 8, with a time yet to be announced. • There is a mayor candidates’ forum on Nov. 9 in the Canfor Theatre at UNBC, starting at 5:30 p.m. • There is a forum at the Ramada Inn on Nov. 14, starting at 6 p.m. And then it’s up to you, the voter, to make sure you have the information you need to make an informed choice on Nov. 19.
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Prince George Free Press
■ Mayor’s Race
Fetterly takes another shot Says accountability is main issue for politicians Delynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Eugene Fetterly put in his nomination papers and officially declared his intention to run for mayor of Prince George last week. The primary platform of Fetterly’s campaign is accountability. “They (the current mayor and council) are not accountable because, not to mention any names, but so and so will say this and when the water starts to get rough they change their mind,” he said. “Councillors have to start trusting one another. If they play as a team they’d certainly get a lot more done, but it seems to me they all have a different mandate.” He added putting more thought and money into solving infrastructure problems is an issue. “I have to do maintenance on my truck. If the roads were better I wouldn’t have to.” And, he said, tax payer’s money could have been saved when it comes to the new RCMP building. “The RCMP station should not look like a tourist attraction. You shouldn’t want to go there,” he said. In fact, Fetterly said, the existing building was designed so more floors could be added to it, so if they had revised the building rather than built a new one they could have saved some money. Then there might have been money, he added, to pay for the RCMP officers
De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Eugene Fetterly taking another run at the mayor’s job. who’ve been assigned to the Downtown Enforcement Unit. However, Fetterly said he thinks the money for that service should have been included in what the municipality is already
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paying for policing. “I would have thought the downtown service is part of what we pay for,” he said, then added he believes protecting the public in all areas of the city is part of the regular
duty of officers. Fetterly supports the negotiating process currently going on between municipalities and the federal government over the money being paid for policing and doesn’t think negotiators should cave under the threat of losing the RCMP’s services. “I wouldn’t succumb to that threat. We are quickly becoming a police state if they say you have to hire us. If you want jobs you should prove you’re good at it,” he said. When questioned about what expertise he would bring to the mayor’s position, he said he doesn’t yet have the specific experience, however past mayors have come from all walks of life, from a businessman to a librarian. “If Dan Rogers can do it, anybody can because his track record in the last three years is maybe not what it potentially could be. “I think if he was genuinely serious about the job he’d have got on snow removal the first year, and road repair, but all this pavement is going on leading up to the election. If I was paid a quarter of a million dollars over the last three years I would have been listening to people and getting things done instead of a police station and buying up land. “Our money could be better spent on what people feel are needs, not what special interest groups feel are needs.”
Lewis says city needs to do more to sell itself Delynda pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Brandon Lewis believes there is an opportunity for the city to attract graduates from UNBC and encourage them to start businesses in the city, thereby growing the city while providing more employment. Lewis declared his candidacy for mayor last week. He said the trick to getting more of the graduates from the university to stay is to sell all the positive aspects of the city to them, like the opportunity to buy a home, something that remains just a dream for many who live in the Lower Mainland because of the high cost of housing. “But first we need to build
a reputation as a place for businesses to be and continue the effort to revitalize downtown Prince George,” he said. Lewis, who graduated with a degree in mathematics from the university, said he can put his knowledge to good use on behalf of the city. “ Wi t h my background in math, I’m really good with numbers. I could find places for cuts in the budget.” And he said sometimes it may be about distributing the funds appropriately. Lewis, who is a 23-year-
old city resident, said he has a lot of experience for his age. “I own my own house and vehicle and support myself, so I control what I spend. I’d like to reduce the outrageous spending on the part of the city and bring it back in black.” He added his age should not make voters leery of casting their ballot for him and said he has a lot of leadership experience, from cadets to an exchange program with Japan to a job as a manager for Stats Canada. “I have run successful operations and I have a lot
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of leadership potential,” he said. “I’ve done quite a bit, so I understand responsibility and believe I’m a bit further along then most people my age. I don’t believe age should be a factor. “Try it if you like what I’m saying instead of sticking with the older generation. We need a new young approach.” He said he can bring a fresh perspective to city affairs and put new ideas in place. “There are a lot of complaints with sticking with the same old thing in council. I also believe we need to build a better community so the older generation has an enjoyable place to retire and stay.”
Brandon Lewis
- Mayoral candidate
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Prince George Free Press
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Chamber outlines several election issues
DeLynda PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Myrt Turner speaks at the all-candidates forum at the Firepit last week. The forum was hosted by Community Partners Addressing Homelessness.
Homelessness group hosts first all candidates forum for council DeLynda Pilon
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
There wasn’t a lot of dissension during the first political all-candidates forum, hosted by Community Partners Addressing Homelessness at the Firepit Oct. 15. Mayoral candidates Shari Green, Brandon Lewis, Alex Huber, Eugene Fetterly and Dan Rogers were on-hand to answer questions surrounding the issue as were council candidates Murry Krause, Dave Wilbur, Dorothy Friesen, Debora Munoz, Joanne Dickenson, Myrt Turner, Albert Koehler, Jordon Gadsby, John Beebe, Garth Frizzell, Lyn Hall, Brian Skakun and Frank Everitt. “Homelessness is unacceptable in a community as caring as Prince George,” said Friesen, who added safe, affordable housing must be available in the community. Munoz, who sits on the Beyond Homelessness committee, said she had the opportunity to experience for one night what it is like to be homeless five years ago through a community proj-
ect where she, along with several other community members, spent the night on the street. The evening opened her eyes to the issue of people warming themselves under cardboard boxes, unable to use the shelter for various reasons. “The community needs a longterm affordable housing strategy,” she agreed. “As a business located downtown, we believe in doing the little things,” said Turner. She added her business had a coat-exchange service last winter so not only could homeless people come in and get a warm coat, but they could also exchange wet outerwear for something that is dry. She added she supports the efforts of the Beyond Homelessness committee. Koehler, who is an immigrant from Germany, said the issue of homelessness came as a shock to him since it does not exist in Germany. “Nobody is voluntarily homeless. Nobody is voluntarily sick. We all can be there. Sometimes life can kick you in the rear no
matter how prepared you think you might be,” he said and added steps need to be taken so homelessness is not an issue anymore. “It’s a matter of decision making.” One of the questions chosen randomly asked if candidates believed in the city having a safe injection site. This was the one question that brought differing opinions forward between the two candidates who drew it. Gadsby said he did not support them. “There are lots of models for treatment. I’m in favour of programs to help people get past those issues in life,” he said. Lewis, one of the mayoral candidates, supports them. “With the proper set-up and staffing, they can provide people with an opportunity to have a place to go, though I’m not saying drugs are the way to go,” he said. Food security was another issue, one raised by Dickenson. “I believe food security is important for all,” she said. For the most part, all of the
Let’s All Celebrate Prince George’s
candidates agreed homelessness is a complex issue that requires help from all quarters to battle, including local service providers and advocacy for support from the provincial and federal government. “We have to make sure we are all co-ordinating. No good thing is done in duplication,” said Everitt. “Part of revitalizing Prince George is talking about homelessness.” He pointed out Prince George has a long harsh winter. “Most of the funding is federal and provincial but we need to do our part. We can’t do anything in isolation. None of them are there by choice,” he said and pointed out the economy, lack of high enough welfare cheques to rent a home, and lack of support for those with mental illness issues contribute to the problem. “They want to work. They want to be self-sufficient.” The next forum is at the UNBC Canfor Theatre, room 6-213, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Oct. 19 (tonight), hosted by the political science department.
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The Prince George Chamber of Commerce has some advice for those running for city council – pay attention to the issues on taxpayers’ minds. And the chamber has made the effort to find out what some of those issues are. According to the results of a Prince George Chamber of Commerce survey circulated to chamber members in August, important themes surfaced such as: improving the reputation/profile of Prince George, controlling municipal spending and business taxation, creating a more favourable business climate, and focusing attention on employee attraction and retention efforts. “When those surveyed were asked the question, ‘if you could magically add one issue to the platform of every candidate running in the next municipal election, what would it be?’ most of the comments focused on reducing business taxation, being more fiscally prudent, and sending stronger signals that Prince George is ‘open for business,’” said Chamber President Gaurav Parmar, in a press release. Following close behind was an expressed need for road and street maintenance and ‘enough-talk-time-for-action’ on downtown enhancement. “Municipal candidates should take note that there is direct connection between improving local aesthetics, infrastructure, and roads, and business’s ability to attract qualified employees to Prince George,” Parmar said. “We heard loud and clear that the negative image of Prince George was a challenge in filling labour needs and that this challenge restricts Prince George from approaching the infinite horizons that our city has in its future.” A breakdown of the biggest municipal obstacles standing in the way of doing business better includes: 19 per cent Prince George’s profile and reputation, 15 per cent employee recruitment and retention, 11 per cent municipal regulations and red tape, and seven per cent municipal taxation too high. When asked about local priorities, the results ranked health as number one followed closely by regional infrastructure, education, environmental services, downtown revitalization, innovation, parks and recreation, and arts and culture. The ‘issues’ survey was completed by 118 chamber members.
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Municipal spending Is it out of control?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Prince George Free Press
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We put the question to mayoralty candidates Dan Rogers and Shari Green Both of whom have been a part of spending at city hall for the past three years DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Municipal spending is on the rise, a growing trend that is causing concern among the general public as well as elected officials. A recent report from the ICBA states the rate of municipal spending is rising four times faster than the rate of inflation in Prince George. Much of the information in the report mirrors statements already issued by the CFIB. So what do our mayoral candidates think about this growing trend - and, perhaps more importantly, what are they planning to do about it?
Dan Rogers Dan Rogers, who is running for another term as mayor, pointed out the report is based on statistics gathered until 2008, and there has been a shift in the trend, at least in Prince George, in the last three years. “The report from the Independent Contractors looks at overall consolidated expenditures, but only until 2008. If you looked at the last two years, consolidated expenditures actually dropped from $134 million to $127 million in 2010,” Rogers said. “So the trend quoted uses old data and if it was extended you would see the line dip.” Protective services takes up a large portion, more than 30 per cent, of the municipal budget. “That’s why we’ve taken such a strong position in our current contract negotiations (with the RCMP),” he said. Footing the bill of policing with little control over their budgeting priorities is a difficult position to be in. “The next 20-year contract has to have a better management and partnership framework,” he said. For example, council was hit with a $1 million increase in policing last year in order to maintain the status quo of service. In spite of that, Rogers believes the city should continue to utilize the services of the RCMP. He has two reasons for this. First, by most accounts a municipal force is even more expensive, and second Rogers believes it is better to have an integrated police force. “I’m confident cooler heads will prevail and we’ll get a contract that addresses those issues,” he said. Another portion of operating costs, labour costs for city employees, was mentioned in the ICBA report. It states there is a growing wage and benefit disparity between public and comparable private sector jobs. Rogers said the wages of city employees is driven through collective bargaining with the union. “You must be respectful when entering into these talks,” he said, and added it shouldn’t be something debated in the
debt. We need to continue to manage that media, particularly during an election and make some headway.” campaign. He said that from what he understands Shari Green the starting wage for municipal employees is higher than for their private sector Green, who has served on council counterparts, and many are positions for one term has joined the race for the occupied by women. mayor’s chair. This small business owner “If this is about reducing what we pay says she is a member of the CFIB and women, that’s not something I subscribe agrees with the report. However, she did to,” he said. sit on council when budget decisions Keeping taxes in check, he added, is were made. more about growing the economy. The “Municipal spending and operating tax load needs to be managed, he said, so costs have been escalating for years. It’s that the average taxpayer isn’t subsidizbeen a trend since 2000. The biggest costs ing someone else’s benefit. are in our labour. Protective services is a Something he sees as a potential source huge part of our budget,” she said, addof new revenue for the city, and therefore ing she is aware there is a growing disa way of keeping taxes in check, is the parity between the salaries and benefits downtown energy system. of municipal and private sector employIt provides green energy, improves air ees. quality in the bowl by Little can be done reducing fine particulate about protective serand will produce revvices costs, at least at a enue to the city when it municipal level. sells the power to users. “The cost of labour Rogers describes and benefits (for protechimself as a fiscal contive services) is out of servative with a social our hands, but almost consciousness. entirely our bill, and “I’ve served on varipeople want the service. ous social committees I know they (the RCMP) for around a decade. Get Informed • Get Involved would like to have more The challenge is to members, but I’m not Get Out And improve efficiencies supportive of that right while we ensure we are now because of the providing the essential costs.” services. Labour costs for Improving efficienemployees under the cies means taking a good look at the city umbrella is something that can be Official Community Plan to ensure there considered at the municipal level. is increased density in growth so the However, it is not a simple issue. Tradicity can take advantage of the services tionally she said municipal governments already in place. don’t really get involved in contract To put it in perspective, you can fit 16 negotiations, and if you don’t match cities the size of Victoria within Prince what peers are being paid in other areas George city limits, and because the city there is the possibility of losing employcovers a large geographical area, people ees. are spread out. That leads to inefficienThe conversation Green wants to have cies. Encouraging growth where services would bring everyone who gets a pay exist will, in contrast, improve those efficheque at city hall to the table to find ciencies. creative ways to cut costs, which doesn’t “But it takes a lot of discipline and necessarily involve wages or benefits. experiences. You must think over the next “The conversation I want to have with 10 or 20 years. But improved efficiencies people at city hall is how are we going to will keep taxes in check over a longer move our community forward in a susterm.” tainable way? I want to bring everyone The overall municipal debt has been together.” figured at about $110 million, however She said this would lead to some creRogers pointed out $45 million of that is ative innovative ways to find savings. part and parcel of a deal made with TeraFour major projects make up a good sen which included a loan from the city portion of costs on the capital side of the to help them buy the city right-of-ways budget, and Green supported them as the gas pipelines use. They are paying they climbed through the bureaucratic that deal will end in 2021, which will process, and she stands behind those likely conclude in the payment of a lump decisions. She added the majority of sum of $25 to $26 million. At that time, those projects are being completed alongRogers said, whoever is serving on counside partners, which means costs are cil will have the chance to use the money being shared. in any way that benefits the city. “Three of those projects have signifiAnd the city is working on lowering cant partnership agreements and grants the municipal debt, paying it down by in place.” about $10 million. When it comes to discussing the new “The fact is we not only have increased RCMP building, Green said it is a matter services, like roads, but we also have of looking at needs vs. wants within the been ensuring we reduced our debt,” he community. The current structure is old said. “We are making progress on the and has been renovated over and over
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again. She added it is a building in use 24 hours a day housed with staff that carry a significant amount of often cumbersome equipment. Even so, she pointed out the original design for the new building was modified and saved significant costs. “We got the best design and value, but at a compromise.” For instance, the original design called for underground parking, which would have been not only convenient for the building users but more aesthetically pleasing in general. Making the decision to forgo it, however, saved $5 million. “If that hadn’t been cut, I don’t think it would have been approved by council,” she said. When asked if the building needed to be as architecturally gratifying as what is in the works, she said she believes it does for a number of reasons. “We can continue to have the status quo in our community and live at a basic level, but we won’t see growth and innovation,” she said, adding in the end that means people won’t be attracted to the city. Attracting new citizens means expanding the existing tax base. Boundary Road is another project that will set a foundation for that, she said, because of the employment opportunities it will open up. Living within our means translates to managing costs without constantly raising taxes, she said, adding she is committed to an affordable sustainable tax. Green said she worked on the Winter Games bid from the beginning. Infrastructure money is given by the province to whichever city wins the bid, and she’s pleased Prince George was the winning city. She said too often it is passed over for places like Kelowna and Kamloops. “This takes us to a new level of respect,” she said. The District Energy System had the aid of a significant amount of grant money and will take 100 tonnes of particulate out of the air shed. So how do you save money? Green said the list of capital projects is long and complex and sometimes includes things like changing the faucets in city buildings so people no longer have to turn on a tap, but instead water flow is prompted by a sensor. Another example is changing the seats in the playhouse - while simultaneously looking for P3 funding to build a downtown performing arts centre. Expenditures like that, she said, can be put on hold. “We need to go through it with a finetoothed comb and make harder choices,” she said. But mostly she feels it is a matter of challenging the staff to always find the most cost effective process. “We haven’t pressed the staff as hard as I know we could and should. We need to talk to them about finding savings. I’m not interested in micromanaging, but we need to have them come back with a demonstrated effort.”
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Opinion
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Prince George Free Press
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Prince George Free Press, founded in 1994, is published every Wednesday and Friday in Prince George by Prince George Publication Limited Partnership. Contents copyright of Prince George Publication Limited Partnership.
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It’s all about votes S
o what does it take, at the ballot box, to become mayor? The flip answer is one more vote than your nearest rival. However, it’s a little more involved than that. In 2008, Dan Rogers was elected with 9,272 votes. With 16,900 residents casting ballots, Rogers secured 54 per cent of the vote … a convincing victory. In 2005, the closest mayoral race in the last four elections, Colin Kinsley won with 8.650 votes, which was 51.2 per cent of the 16,880 votes cast. It’s interesting to note that the number of votes cast in 2008 and 2005 was almost identical. It would be wonderful to see that number increase this time around and, given that there have been a couple of hot topic issues for this council (Brian Skakun, Haldi Road, Kin 1 renos), there could be more interest in voters actually getting out to the polls. So how many votes will a candidate need to become mayor? With five mayoralty candidates this time around, it’s safe to say the number needed will be less than usual. Remember, whoever gets the most votes becomes mayor. So, if you’re a mayoralty candidate, 8,000 votes or better should be your goal. For Rogers, all he has to do is keep the votes he had last time. However, it’s safe to say he, and other incumbent councillors who voted for the rezoning (including fellow mayoralty candidate Shari Green), lost a few hundred with the Haldi Road school rezoning and a few hundred more when he brought council’s decision to spend an extra few million on a standalone arena rather than refurbishing Kin 1, back before council. This is an issue where Rogers and Green differed, as Green supported building the standalone arena. It’s also interesting to note that many of those who complain that spending at the city, under Rogers’ tenure, has gotten out of control are also critical of Rogers using his power as mayor to bring the arena decision back before council, which resulted in council deciding to spend millions of dollars less on Kin Centres upgrades. But getting back to the numbers, if Rogers loses 1,000 votes because of those two issues, it could tighten up the mayor’s race, particularly if those who are ticked at the decision not to build a standalone arena move their votes to Green. But then enter the wild card of having more than two candidates. Mayoralty candidate Alex Huber singled out those two specific issues as examples of city council not listening to the electorate. He will gain some traction with that as a campaign plank, meaning those who abandon Rogers because of the Kin Centres issue, may not necessarily go to Green. For the record, Green captured 9,470 votes in 2008 running for a city council seat, so for her it’s also a matter of keeping the votes she had last time (although some who voted for Green for council in 2008 may also have voted for Rogers for mayor, so it’s tough to compare getting votes for a council seat with getting votes for the mayor’s chair). For example, Don Zurowski topped the polls for city councillor in 2005 with 9,937 votes, but only managed 6,505 when he ran for mayor in 2008. Also for the record, Brian Skakun topped the polls in 2008 with 9,651 votes. It will be interesting to see if his ongoing woes regarding releasing city documents to the media will hurt or hinder him at the ballot box. At any rate, we have a race and it should be a good one. Pay attention and make sure you get out and vote on November 19.
■ opinion
Once every three years
a very good grasp on the matters at hand. There is Every three years we have the opportunity to little question that she could handle the position of express our judgment on how our city has been mayor from an intellectual perspective or work ethic operated. The ballot box is one of the few ways the point of view. The negative is her impatience and average individual can have a bit of a say. It is an opportunity not to be taken lightly. At the municipal demand for conformity of council members. She was one of the leaders determined to give Coun. level of governance we can have a solid influence in Skakum a dishonourable discharge from council. the decisions being made. With Basserman stepping down and Green runFew of us take the time to watch the televised ning for mayor there are two vacant seats, but we council meetings every couple of weeks. There are could also see some of the incumbent councillors too many other things going on in our lives. But the face defeat at the polls. various media keep us well informed of the highSkakun will now get his wish to let the voters lights so we usually know what is going on. Being a decide if his breach of privacy was seribit of an odd duck in some ways, I do ous. As more governance hides behind watch most of the meeting broadcasts. privacy and similar legislation, his The last three years has seen a somedefiance may be viewed as a necessary what different council than we perhaps challenge. He faced the courts and that had in the past. Partly because there should end the matter. It is now up to were some newcomers and also council Onside the voters to decide if his actions were a faced some issues which were different. VictorBowman benefit to the community or not. One trend that seems to have develKrause and Debora Munoz have oped is almost a consensus council. both served the city well. They both are over on the It is masqueraded under the guise of teamwork, bleeding heart side, but every council needs a social but it seems the script for the council meeting has conscience. They are both worthy of re-election. been written and rehearsed before the public meetCouncillors Garth Frizzell, Cameron Stolz and ing. There were very few instances of spirited open David Wilbur are the newer councillors we will debate. It may make for happy looking council have to pass judgment upon when we mark our balmeetings but it gives one a scary feeling that the lots. All three have shown diligence and energy, we public meeting is more show than tell, In fairness, could do worse. there were some interesting moments thanks to There are several newcomers to the civic political councillors Don Basserman, Murry Krause, and scene and there are a number of them who are worBrian Skakum. thy of consideration. We all should pay attention to For mayor there are only two realistic contenders. them. Dan Rogers has long experience in council and is They may have talents and skills our community noted for being a consensus builder. He is criticized can use to its advantage. for changing his mind, but that is more of an asset, Read the papers, attend the public forums and and indicates a desire to do the right thing. discuss with your friends. You only get this chance Shari Green, with one term on council, is a hard every three years. worker. She does her homework and usually has
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