Dear Editor,
Elections are important. Since becoming a municipality we have been challenged to elect a balanced and functional Council that can direct staff to effectively utilize our limited municipal resources.
The current Council has made good progress in getting Municipal Hall in order. Kathy Lalonde is a dynamic leader and has built a team that works well together. Our financial house is in order thanks to the work of the Finance Advisory Committee and Manager of Finance Kristen Watson. This is a good start but the heavy lifting of some more serious decision-making is still before us. This election, November 15, will set the stage.
Leslee and I came to Bowen Island in 2009 with a keen interest in helping build community. Having served as a Municipal Councillor in Whistler and having worked on the provision of affordable housing in Whistler, on Bowen and elsewhere, I have been a keen observer of the efforts on Bowen to preserve the spectacular natural setting, maintain a strong diverse community and support a local economy.
With our capable staff at Municipal Hall, we now need to elect a Council that can work as a team with a diversity of skills and experience to get things done. And we need a mayor who can tap in to their collective wisdom, keep them working collaboratively, and guide the process of productive decision-making, leading to practical solutions to meet our objectives – environmental, social and economic.
It is a good idea to have some experience at the table, especially in the Mayor’s chair, since unlike other elections, the most incumbents we will be able to elect is two out of seven. Bearing that in mind and having looked extensively at all the candidates and their platforms, here are my picks for a Council that will bring a great mix of skills and experience. They represent more diversity in age and gender than we have had on Council recently.
Mayor: Tim Rhodes
Council: Gary Ander, Yvette Gabrielle, Michael Kaile, Alison Morse, Melanie Mason, Maureen Nicholson
Having heard them speak in a couple of different venues last weekend, these candidates have differing perspectives and priorities but a shared interest in listening. They don’t seem interested in dwelling on past differences or vilifying their predecessors. They all speak about wanting constructive, respectful dialogue and working with others to get things done.
Please cast your ballot in this election, pick your own dream team and help us, as a community, place our confidence in solid local leadership. We will all be better off if we do.
Tim Wake
