To kick off our municipal election coverage, The Interior News asked all the candidates to prepare a 250-word submission that answered the following questions:
1. What is the most pressing issue facing your municipality?
2. As mayor/councillor, what do you intend to do to address that issue?
3. What is it about your background, experience, knowledge and/or personality you believe makes you qualified/suitable to be successful in the position you are seeking?
As a 28-year resident of Smithers, I feel like my background would be a good addition to Town Council. I have worked in the lumber manufacturing sector at West Fraser Mills more for 20+ years. Over the past 10 years, I have been directly involved in budget planning and capital project initiation and completion. I have also been managing a workforce of 60 employees for more than five years.
I have raised my young adult children in Smithers, and I think the interactions I have had with a lot of people, especially young people, the issue of affordable housing comes up a lot.
If elected to council I would use my management and budget experience to address this issue. I think the first step is to partner with developers to plan to build more multi-unit homes. With limited availability of land, this to me would be a great start.
It seems purchasing a home is not an option, so the rental route is the best option for a lot of people. That said we need to set reasonable rental rates with reasonable increases yearly. It seems rental units in Smithers are too high priced or just don’t exist. This is also a roadblock to getting workers to live in Smithers. I have experienced this in my own work as we aren’t able to bring people in because the housing is not available or unaffordable.
A vibrant and successful community needs good affordable housing.