Council candidate Tyler Maddocks, in his own words
By Contributor
As the youngest candidate once again, it’s time for one seat to sit a new councilor under the age of 30 to bring forward a new generation of views, ideas and energy. Born, raised and living in downtown Castlegar, this is my third attempt at running for a seat on Castlegar city council. My first attempt was in the municipal election three years ago, while my second being last year’s by-election.
Regardless of the outcome on November 15th, this is something that I will continue to push forward with. I hope I am coming across as someone who does not give up. I will keep working to earn the trust of voters who are not yet convinced in me, while showing the ones who are that they have indeed made the right choice. Has Castlegar even ever had a councilor under the age of 30?
When I first made my decision to run three years ago in the last municipal election, I knew this was something that I would be honored to be apart of. I am going to need all the help of my supporters to help spread the word that I am indeed very serious about this, and would work very hard to show my supporters that you have made the right choice.
In an upcoming election where we see four new candidates emerge, some which I know personally, I no doubt have a lot of work in front of me. I do believe that every generation is brought up a little differently and thus having a slightly different view point of what we would like to see in our city. I would love the opportunity to bring my ideas forth, and work with our youth of the city to see what we can accomplish together.
I have lots to talk about going into this election, and I look forward to chatting about and hearing everyone’s opinion.
I would like to see our money spent with more input from us the tax payers. I have voiced my opinion on how I think this can be improved on via social media in my previous attempts. We have recently seen a great example of this when one of our current councilors posted an idea before it was brought to council. It created buzz, and for the most part was real positive. Everyone knew about it before it became after the fact. I really dislike when our council doesn’t take responsibility for unpopular decision, and uses the excuse of us not voicing our opinions before it becomes “after the fact”. In my opinion, they should hold their accountability for all decisions even after they are made, popular or not. More social media interaction in my opinion can greatly assist in the unpopular decisions happening less and less.
I am currently working for a tool accessory distributor. (Exchange-A-Blade) I’ve attended local public schools and graduated from Selkirk College completing my Business Administration Diploma in 2009. I am involved with my own e-commerce business, where I do website development, and online marketing. I worked at a local credit union for a few years, which provided me valuable financial planning experience. I also am a volunteer as a director with the Castlegar Sunfest committee, as well an executive-at-large at the Royal Canadian Legion, Castlegar-Robson branch.
With a rich family background in the community including my mother who has taught in local elementary schools for over 36 years, I hope to continue my family tradition, and be the third generation Maddocks to serve in office.
Like I have mentioned in previous campaigns, I believe that I can best serve my community by bringing my youth, experiences and energy in representing the citizens of Castlegar. I have a strong desire to get youth more engaged in community life, while maintaining a strong focus on our working families and seniors.
Areas I see in need of improvement:
· Public Communication: Working on getting the public engaged on how our tax dollars are spent before they are. Social media interaction. Working with the youth of our city to get a better understanding of their needs and desires.
· Business Development & Recreation: Business attraction and job developments. Over the last few years, we have seen so many downtown businesses close. We need to be more aggressive in attracting new business, while continually working on getting people downtown. Marketing our one of kind Millennium Park ponds to boost downtown tourism. Explore the possibility of a city campground similar to Nelson’s at Millennium.
· Health Care: We are the cross roads of the Kootenays. In my opinion, anything less than 24/7 health care is not acceptable.
· Our City Workers: Without a contract for almost two years, in a 24 hour notice period, our city workers could be on a full fledged strike. This should have been resolved before the contract expired early last year.
On November 15th, I hope to earn your vote.
I invite you to join the conversation on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maddockscouncil or email any questions or comments to: tmaddocks@live.com
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