The wheels I use to walk with have taken me along many thousands of miles, says city council candidate Brian Le Pas.
"Along the way I have met some who equate intelligence with ability, and other who don't," he said. "The latter are those who see through impairments of the physical type and have encouraged me to ask for your support in my bid for one of six seats on Campbell Rivers City Council."
LePas said he will not mind working for $1 per hour.
"I am not seeking this position for a second or third income. I believe that a City Council position is a full time job. Recently, a councillor stated quite publicly that the amount of work and time involved in the position was not worth the money he/she was being paid. Here's my advice to that councillor: Quit, and return to your day job. You are paid by Campbell River taxpayers to put your nose to the grindstone and work hard for them to help govern our city. Do you want a city councillor to work for you full time? Or are you okay with electing the type of councillor who will not dedicate themselves to anything other than a second or third income. Dedication is one aspect of the quality of city councillor you will have in me."
When asked to define hid qualifications for the position of councillor, Le Pas includes details of owning an accessible transportation company, district supervisor for McLean's Magazine telemarketing operations, a quality control supervisor for Microsoft's Hotmail clients, manager of a music store, sous-chef, taxi driver, dish washer, radio DJ for the now defunct country and western radio station in Nanaimo, CKEG 1350, provincial government employee and a member of the BCGEU.
Le Pas' volunteer activities include advocating for persons with disabilities and First Nations, avid supporter of arts and culture, especially drama and theatre. HIs hobbies include playwriting and photography.
"If elected to council, I would be an excellent fit for the Transportation Portfolio and the Housing Portfolio, however, which ever Portfolios I am assigned, I can assure you that I am highly capable of working diligently towards understanding how to deliver cost effective services and programs and have the will and desire to put in however many hours it takes to accomplish this."
In his first term, Le Pas will ask his fellow councillors and mayor for their support of four initiatives:
The first will be to establish a bylaw whereby Campbell River be designated as a Low Speed Vehicle community. In a nutshell, electric vehicles under 50cc's would be permitted to operate within city boundaries on roads with a designated maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour. This fits in nicely with the City's Green Zone initiatives and decreases vehicular pollution.
The second will be to ask my fellow councillors to support a bylaw that directs developers of any type of multi-family housing to dedicate 20 per cent of the total number of units they build to be fully accessible for senior citizens and persons with physical disabilities. In the long run this will allow aging-in-place and freedom to live in whatever area of Campbell River one so chooses. Aging-in-place can happen, and will be a highly achievable improvement for our City.
The third will be to support Coun. Andy Adams and others with their views on fiscal management styles used by City Financial Managers.
The fourth will be to determine if indeed our city has become top heavy with managers. If this is correct, it must be determined which managers are redundant or inefficient and make staffing adjustments accordingly.
"Let's work together, you and I, towards an improved and efficient Campbell River: a Campbell River which embraces and welcomes business ingenuity, initiatives and growth; a Campbell River that provides families the safety and security they deserve; a Campbell River which fosters healthy living and lifestyles and provides an improved and expanding infrastructure that supports the same; This is the Campbell River I will work diligently and tirelessly for."
In 2005, Le Pas first ran for city council: an unknown who garnered the vote of 887 Campbell Riverites. In 2008, he again ran for council and garnered the trust of 969 Campbell Riverites.