Dear Editor
May I first applaud the three candidates that have been nominated for the position of Mayor: a position that requires major commitments of time and energy. Many thanks to you all. Now the voters must choose.
I will not be voting for Murray Skeels. While not doubting his sincerity, I think back to his numerous epistles in The Bulletin that have fostered acrimony within the Community. How can this be reconciled with the need to foster “respectful dialogue and consensus-building in relation to community issues,” a primary goal articulated so clearly in the Vital Conversations report.
Stacy, I wish you could have run for council. You are a well-respected Bowen Islander with a strong background in the engineering aspects of the Island’s development. Your present career gives you an intimate understanding of the challenges and aspirations of our vital arts community. Your lack of municipal council experience is, however, regrettable. It is a factor which could be handled as a councillor, but could severely handicap your performance in a mayoral role. Should you not be successful, I sincerely hope that you will stay involved at the committee level with a view to running as a councillor four years from now.
Tim Rhodes is an honest, intelligent, hard-working individual with valuable council experience. He is thoughtful and compassionate, a quiet but firm person who listens and achieves consensus through effective communications and respectful dialogue. Of engineering background, I was privileged to be a member of the Solid Waste Resource Advisory Committee. I was impressed with the critically supportive role Tim adopted to provide guidance to our endeavours. He did his homework, he was firm and fair. Tim has represented our Island well in discussions with off-Island authorities and will provide valuable continuity in this regard.
The details of Tim’s platform are plainly articulated in his election pamphlets and advertisements. He goes beyond “the big picture” to add the necessary “meat to the bones.” He welcomes accountability.
I sincerely wish all candidates well, but I’m voting for Tim.
Peter Taggart
