Prince George voters had their first chance to compare and contrast candidates for the upcoming municipal election during the all-candidates forum at the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library.
The Sept. 25 forum saw 12 candidates tackle a variety of questions about the most important issues affecting Prince George. Topics ranged from backyard chickens, supporting immigrants and diversity in the city, the idea of a performing arts centre, green spaces, food security, reducing crime, and the city’s aging infrastructure.
Moderated by CBC Prince George’s Audrey McKinnon, the forum gave each candidate 1.5-minutes to introduce themselves and speak to their platform before questions were selected from a deck of cards.
We're here at the Prince George Public Library Bob Harkins Branch for the candidate forum for the @CityofPG municipal election in October. You can follow my thread for in-time updates as the night goes along #cityofpg #bcpoli #Election2018
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Candidates also had two cards they could raise if they wanted to answer a particular question.
“If no one raises their hand to answer, I’ll pull two names from a hat and those two will have to answer the questions,” explained McKinnon.
Council candidates Kyle Sampson and Dave Fuller could not attend due to prior commitments but had statements read on their behalf. Mayoral candidate Willy Ens also did not attend the forum but had no statement read on his behalf.
One of the first questions that generated a lot of discussion was about the salaries and overtime-pay policy for city staffers and whether or not the candidates thought it was reasonable.
“I’m supportive of taking this policy back to council for review,” said Mayor Lyn Hall, who also explained that the market often dictates salaries for senior city staff. “It is a difficult thing to tap into the market of senior management to try and attract people to Prince George, or any community for that matter, and the competition is very difficult.”
Coun. Murry Krause then spoke and noted that the overtime policy was adopted seven years ago.
The forum here in Prince George at the library is so full they are asking people to go to overflow seating downstairs and watch a stream @CityofPG #cityofpg pic.twitter.com/DfUHTR9Le3
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“I want to hasten the fact today senior management did nothing wrong they applied with policy,” said Krause, referring to overtime pay that city staffers accumulated during the wildfire evacuations in 2017.
“I want to remind everyone nicely that we were in a state of emergency and we had people step up to the plate in our senior staff,” added Coun. Frank Everett.
Coun. Brian Skakun agreed the overtime policy should be reviewed, but also noted that the city hired an evacuation coordinator to alleviate the pressure from senior managers. “Our managers made some overtime money but they could have volunteered some time as well,” he said.
Many of the questions asked during the forum addressed the city’s problem with homelessness in the downtown core and the need for services.
A question from the Prince George Public Library asked candidates their position on providing accessible washrooms downtown and what their priorities for downtown are.
Hall said downtown washrooms are something that has been on council’s radar but not in the budget.
"It’s an interesting dichotomy downtown, where we have millions of dollars’ worth of investment, but you also continue to have those social issues that are prevalent in the community and every other community throughout the province. That is what is foremost on my mind when it comes to the revitalisation of downtown," he said.
Krause, who was previously the chair of the social planning council, said investigations have shown that downtown washrooms won’t work for Prince George, but he is still looking at other options.
Coun. Terri McConnachie focused her response on the need for social housing in downtown Prince George.
“Everyone needs a place to live where services can wrap around these individuals and everyone need a roof over their head and that is definitely something I would participate in with a loud voice," she said.
Cori Ramsay noted that the lack of downtown washrooms impacts businesses and shoppers in that area.
Another question regarding homelessness camps and how the city plans to create a safe and attractive downtown was directed at Hall.
“There are a number of organizations that need to and have come to the table to deal with the issues downtown. We are looking at and we are excited to be able to proceed with a wraparound service model, which would include low-barrier housing services for individuals who are homeless,” he responded. Hall also noted the city currently has staff from the parks department who are tasked with cleaning up homeless camps, but the solution is “down the road and is going to take time.”
Skakun then pointed to a recent report at city council of two city staffers collecting 3,500 lbs of garbage and a five-gallon bucket of needles from downtown Prince George.
“I have empathy for them, and I wish we could do more, but the City of Prince George can’t provide affordable housing for them, but we can work with the senior government to do that. I think some of the service providers, including Northern Health need to step up to the plate,” said Skakun.
The forum concluded with a question given to all candidates asking each of them what they would spend a million-dollar grant on. Answers varied but many candidates including Skakun, Garth Frizzell, Paul Serup, and Viv Fox, noted they would consult with the community before deciding.
To watch the full forum, check out the archive of the live-stream, or follow PrinceGeorgeMatters reporter Jessica Fedigan’s live tweet thread for the play-by-play of the night.
The municipal election will be held on Oct. 20 with advance voting opportunities beginning on Oct. 10.
