I am pleased to officially announce my intention to run for a seat on Courtenay City Council in the upcoming municipal election.
I was born in Lethbridge Alberta in 1984, and moved with my family to the Comox Valley in 1993. As a 25-year resident of the Valley, I have witnessed big changes in the Valley, watching it grow from a sleepy seaside town to the bustling hub it has become today.
Throughout this time, I have watched and commented with interest as the Valley has grappled with contrasting visions for the future. While these views are at times diametrically opposed, both sides relish the natural beauty and vibrant culture of the Valley and seek to enhance and improve these ideals for future generations.
What we can no longer ignore is that we are no longer a sleepy town at the end of the road we are a destination. The same things that drew all of us to live here will continue to attract more people with the same goal; to live in the best place in the world. Our challenge then, is to maintain our cultural integrity while embracing diversity and our environmental inheritance as we manage this period of expansion to the benefit of all.
We need to plan for this growth with adequate infrastructure to maintain our “small town” feel, while ensuring that the environment is not negatively effected.
We need to encourage densification of the urban core and relax rental suite and carriage house regulations to ensure that affordable housing is available to our citizens.
We need to seek efficiencies in the way we administer public funds to ensure we get the most value for our tax dollars; we should always thoroughly investigate our expenses before any discussion of a tax increase is considered.
We need to promote inter-municipal co-operation and look at ways to consolidate services to reduce the tax burden on our citizenry.
And most importantly we need to ensure that the decisions of council are made openly and transparently along with public input to ensure that the needs of the majority are met while considering and respecting dissenting points of view.
If you support efficient and transparent governance and a sustainable growth strategy for our future, then please join me in ensuring that the Comox Valley remains the best place to call home.
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