My responses to the Crowsnest Pass Herald

These should be appearing in the Herald today or tomorrow.


1. What specific issues or projects do you feel it is the most important for the Municipality to focus on in the next three years?

a) Economic Development-We need to hire an economic development officer, we will not attract business here without this position, it needs to be an individual hired on a contract basis that as a strong incentive to perform.
b) Tax Base-We must work to increase our tax base by encouraging responsible development working with credible developers.
c) Recreation centre Indoor swimming pool, we need it to attract young families but we must determine how much burden it will place on the taxpayers and bring it back in a plebiscite.

2. How would you rate the current state of the Municipality, both economically and politically?

a) Politically the situation as been greatly exaggerated, the 4-3 vote was created as a smoke screen to detract people away from the real issue “change”. We had a 4-3 vote from 2004-07 and 1998-2001, nobody said a word. Four councilors have voted the same way on a minority of issues it escapes me as to why the other three members of council have not been asked, why they always vote the same way.
b) Economically the municipalities primary employer (mines) are now all working well and thriving. What we lack here other than government is a secondary industry which gets back to the issue of economic development officer.

3. What specific strategies do you feel should be employed to increase the local tax base?

a) Economic Development Officer to attract new business.
b) Development in partnership with credible developers.
c) Making attractive commercial property available to bring in businesses we can not attract those businesses like Pincher has, unless we have highway property available.

4. Short of increasing the tax base, what would you do to promote the continuation of municipal services without dramatic tax increases? Are there any areas where you feel the Municipality should spend less or more than it currently does?

a) We has a community must examine every dollar we spend and determine if we could receive better value at a lower cost. For example it as been many years since we last tendered out our engineering this is an area that we have spent millions of dollars on. How do we know we are receiving a fair deal without tendering it?
b) Where we need to spend more money is on promoting the community, whether it is marketing or economic development, there are literally thousands of communities hoping to attract business, we have to stand out to attract them.