Daniel Franklin has declared his candidacy for councillor in the upcoming municipal election.
Franklin says being born and raised in Campbell River and a graduate of Timberline Secondary and North Island College, he is running to help make Campbell River the best city possible – for his wife, his two young children, and the people of Campbell River.
“I believe that the future prosperity of Campbell River and its citizens, relies on economic growth, affordable housing, and the responsible use of tax dollars,” he says, adding, “Campbell River is in constant competition with other cities to attract new businesses.
“Business brings new jobs and relieves some of the tax burden on its citizens. Making sure that we have the right bylaws, regulations, and amenities is crucial to making our city an attractive place for new business.
“Another factor in attracting new businesses is housing affordability. One of the reasons cities can have a hard time attracting workers is the lack of affordable housing.”
Housing affordability is a major concern, he says, including both rentals and owner occupied homes.
“Rising rents and decreasing vacancies make it harder and harder for some young families of Campbell River to find housing. It can be even more difficult to find rental accommodations for those with pets or those with low and fixed incomes.”
The housing issues in Campbell River are not confined to rental housing though, he says.
“Some seniors and those on fixed incomes are finding it difficult to afford the rising price of food and other necessities of life while property taxes have continued to increase at a rate greater than increases in income. While we know our tax dollars are being used to fund all sorts of things that our city needs, I will make sure those funds are being used in the most efficient way possible.”
Check out Franklin’s YouTube candidacy announcement:
Franklin says he also believes that part of making sure that tax revenues are spent efficiently and effectively is keeping an open dialog with the community in order to find out where they want their tax dollars spent and he will use his experience with social media and video production to keep the community up to date on what is happening in our city.
Franklin also believes that communicating by using social media will inspire younger generations to keep informed and interested in the matters managed by City Hall.
Franklin says he’d also like to work towards seeing more people in the community own their homes.
Whether it is through more building, changes to the types of homes that are being built, or opening the door to more unconventional home types such as tiny homes, Daniel would like to see home ownership become a more viable option for a larger number of people.
Franklin encourages anyone to contact him through email at danielcampbellriver@gmail.com or to follow his Facebook page facebook.com/danielcampbellriver (this page is open and does not require a Facebook account to view).
Franklin looks forward to hearing about what the people of Campbell River want to see changed in the community and what they want maintained.