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ELECTION 2014: Candidate Q and A - Randy Rose

District of Lake Country: Rose, Randy - Council Candidate for Winfield ward

1. What is the biggest issue facing Lake Country in the next four years.

I see building support for our volunteer committees and volunteer organizations such as the Seniors Centre and community clubs. Building infrastructure is important and while we have numerous plans/infrastructure underway, we must make sure we focus on our people first. That is what makes our community special. The first step is to meet with them.

2. What is the biggest issue facing your specific ward (Winfield)?

I believe we need to continue to focus on improvements to our main roads. Okanagan Centre Road running from the Lakes Development to the Highway is one that should be widened for the safety of pedestrian traffic. Another big issue is expanding sewer to older existing residential areas.

3. How do you think Lake Country should go about attracting business?

The best thing we can do is to minimize red tape, keep taxation reasonable, and ensure we have good information available about our community to help business expand or move here. The current practise of having an economic development department is a duplication of the regional service and wasteful. We would be better off providing funds to business groups or the Chamber of Commerce who will market better than our staff will ever do.

4. Do you support the restructuring that took place in the last municipal term in Lake Country municipal hall? Why or why not?

We would be hard pressed to call what took place at the municipal hall as restructuring. It used a flawed process, a consultant with a conflict of interest with the District, inaccurate information and wasted $1 million dollars to meet the Administrator’s and Council’s political agenda. A proper process would have utilized consultants experienced in operating municipal government, looked at options to handle the anticipated workload using accurate information and given the affected employees proper notice as required by law. This would have avoided the huge payouts and given the organization time to integrate into the new structure. What we experienced in Lake Country was incompetent, unethical, and wasteful behaviour on the part of the Administrator, Mayor and most of the Councillors. There were two Councillors who tried to talk sense into their colleagues without success.

5. Why should voters vote for you over any of the other choices available on the ballot this year?

My competition (Rob Geier) is a really good teacher who has done many good things in our community. If a similar restructure initiative had been done the same way at the school, he along with his School Board would have been furious. Unfortunately he did not do his homework on this issue which I find disappointing. I know one thing, if the voters select me, I won’t be snowed by the Administrator, I will get into the community to find out what people want, and I will work hard bringing their issues back to Council. Either way, the voters of Winfield have two good choices.