Mayor Stetski Makes a Bid for a Second Term

   

I have enjoyed working with you for the last three years! Together, we have made Cranbrook a better place for business, for the arts and multi-culturalism, for youth and seniors, for recreation and infrastructure, and for people with disabilities. City hall and the Mayor’s office are recognized as being open, transparent, respectful and responsive.

City Council is recognized as a place for respectful debate and open discussion.

As a community we have benefitted from a number of firsts: initiating a cooperative project between the Chamber and the City to Reduce Barriers for Business; holding a very successful Multi-cultural Festival; creating a position of Youth Mayor for a Day; bringing 70 Mayors from across BC to Cranbrook; implementing Excellence in Public Service Training for 100 staff; holding a workshop for local businesses on How To Bid On City Contracts; ensuring that a Welcome and Thank you letter goes to all new businesses from the Mayor.

In order to ensure you had access to me I brought in monthly Coffee with the Mayor sessions, reinstated monthly Brown Bag meetings, brought in an open door policy (“sure you can see the Mayor”) and attended over 300 community events. I will continue these over the next four years.

Potholes and the long-standing poor condition of many of our streets remain a challenge. This is a problem Council inherited, as keeping up with old and failing infrastructure has not always been a priority in the past. This Council committed to the principle that the first 1.75% of any annual increase in property taxes would be dedicated to improving roads and replacing aging infrastructure. We now have a 15 year Capital Plan that lays out what infrastructure will be replaced and when. The challenge remains that every 1% increase in property taxes only results in $219,000 in new revenue, and replacing sewer, water, storm drains and road surfaces can cost $500,000 or more per block.

Our economy is on the upswing. Comparing January to September 2014 with the same period in 2013 the indicators are up in every category. Airport passenger numbers are up 10%. Building permits are up in every category with construction totaling $27.9 million in 2014 compared to $8.6 million in 2013. 132 single family homes sold in Cranbrook between January and September, up 34% over 2013. There are almost 1400 businesses licensed in Cranbrook with 98 new licenses issued up to September, an almost 30% increase over 2013.

Much has been accomplished but there is more to do! We must continue to invest a minimum of $3,000,000 annually into fixing potholes and improving roads. We need to: grow our tourism economy and ensure that serviced lots are available for new industries; leverage “Sunniest City in BC” into new solar energy and greenhouse economies; find a permanent home for the arts and continue to improve the appearance of Highway 3/95 through Cranbrook; protect Joseph Creek and expand our walking/cycling networks; help in the recruitment of new family doctors and continue the upgrades to our sidewalks and buildings to improve access for those with disabilities; promote non-lethal management of our urban deer while harvesting them as required for public safety; ensure that Cranbrook is an Age Friendly and Youth Friendly community.

This is just part of my Vision for Cranbrook - please go to www.stetski.com to see more. With a collaborative Leadership style, the Heart I have for All of our citizens, and with Your Vote  for Wayne Stetski for Mayor our great little city will be an even better place to call Home over the next four years!