Mayoral candidate Lisa Mitchell wants to clean up the streets of Prince George, literally and figuratively.
The former legal assistant moved to Prince George from Victoria in 2014, and has seen a negative change in the city over the years.
“I was totally impressed in the community pride, coming from a big city. The reason why I’m running for mayor is it is a civic duty. It hurts my heart to see it like this, the downtown,” Mitchell said. “We need to stop relying… on the provincial and federal government to fix this for us. Now we need to fix it.”
Dealing with the city’s social issues will require the city engaging with First Nations, private and public agencies and individuals – including those currently suffering from drug addictions and homelessness, Mitchell said.
“We need to start finding out whose family they are from and start connecting them to them,” she said. “We’re going to have to go down and talk to them.”
Mitchell said the city should look at building a “dry camp” location outside the downtown core, where people can camp but can’t bring in drugs or alcohol.
Getting more value for the city’s policing budget is also a priority, she said.
“I think the police need to come out of the detachment in the evening and walk the patrol,” Mitchell said. “We pay very handsomely for the RCMP… but we aren’t getting good value for our dollars.”
The city also needs to focus on improving basic maintenance, she said.
“The image of the city, with the litter and the garbage, it is mind-blowing. We have streets where the catch basins are covered with dirt and garbage,” Mitchell said. “Outside of Wal-Mart they have a brand new road, but on my road we have potholes a small car could fall into.”
Mitchell said she wants to see city council leave a legacy for future generations, not just more debt.
“I have a love for this city, and I want to see it back where it was before.”
