OP/ED: Municipal Election Coverage 2022 ... straight from The Source
By Kyra Hoggan
As most of you know, we are just over a week out from B.C. municipal elections. Though many dismiss these local ballots as unimportant, I would beg to differ – in fact, I would argue that municipal elections and their outcomes have the most significant impact on your day-to-day quality of life.
City beautification, municipal maintenance (water, sewer, roads, parks-&-rec, etc.), economic development, the list goes on …
One could even argue that municipal politicians set a tone and tenor for the entire community by choosing which organizations and events to support and how much to support each.
That being said, I believe interviewing candidates opens the door to all kinds of journalistic bias. Word selection, tone, deciding which quotes to use and which points to highlight are all subjective choices – even choosing which questions to ask is an inherently subjective task.
In the interest of avoiding all of that, I have instead invited candidates to send me a write-up about themselves and their platforms – in their own words.
I`ll correct any glaring spelling mistakes or typos, but otherwise, over the next few days, you will be reading the exact copy they sent me, verbatim – thus allowing zero potential for any of my own bias to sneak its way in.
I`ll be publishing two a day, in the order in which they were received, starting today with both mayoral candidates.
One personal opinion I will put forward is this: I think Castlegar is very lucky to get to choose from two seasoned public servants for mayor.
I have long said that in elections I look for the candidates who stand on their own merit, as opposed to on the backs of their opponents. People who tell me what they plan to get right, as opposed to harping on what their opponent got wrong.
I believe we have two such contenders for the mayoral office the election cycle, and I`m glad to see a civil, respectful, merit-based presentation of what each has to offer.
I also would like to offer a tip of the hat to all the candidates. I think it takes tremendous courage to put yourselves forward like that, and I admire every one of you for trying to do your part for your city.
Good luck to you all!
Advance polls will take place today (Oct. 5), and Oct. 12 at the Castlegar and District Recreation Complex (2101 6 Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the general election voting will be on Oct. 15 at the Complex, again from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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