Carol Youngberg, candidate for councillor, Town of Osoyoos. (Richard McGuire photo)
This profile of council candidate Carol Youngberg was accidentally omitted from the print edition of the Nov. 12 Osoyoos Times. We regret the error.
With the 2014 municipal election set for this Saturday, the Osoyoos Times wanted to give all of the candidates running to become mayor and town councillor the opportunity to make one final impression with eligible voters.
We have decided to ask each of the candidates four questions.
1. What would be your top priority during your first year in office if you are elected mayor/councillor following the November 15 municipal election?
Firstly, it will be exciting to embrace the opportunity to fully understand the municipal process as a councillor. Secondly, I would engage in taking action with the results of the Fire Hall Referendum. Thirdly, a top priority would be understanding the current package on the affordable housing strategy and working on the package to ensure developers want to participate.I would also work with the Community Services department to resolve the Desert Park concerns and to create a multi-use sport, recreation and entertainment centre for everyone to enjoy.
2. How can you make a positive difference to the Town of Osoyoos and the residents who live here?
I believe the positive difference I can make is using my community involvement experiences to be creative, think outside of the box and work with all the community groups by encouraging them to continue to enrich our community together. With my professional background, I know I will be an asset to all discussions and decision making.
3. What in your background qualifies you to be a good mayor/councillor?
The many years of organizing committees, clubs and creating projects would play a major role with the budgeting process. Working with all the local residents who volunteer their time and require help with funding, together with an open mind and concerns about our community, are important and become part of the qualifications to fill the role of councillor. My volunteer involvement with provincial , tourism and economic boards will assist with the ability to make decisions and participate in the discussions that come before council.
4. What is the most important issue, in your opinion, facing our community and what will you commit to doing about it?
The fire hall referendum is a concern to everyone in the community. This is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure a community will create and it must be designed appropriately and efficiently to create an effective firefighting team. The volunteer time put in by our volunteer firefighters – when they are taken away from their occupations – is priceless to everyone in our community and must be considered when making the decision. The participation costs them income and they risk their lives for us. The training that is required will determine their ability on the job, together with building confidence to ensure we continue to obtain the volunteer force. The training is difficult when our community is full every summer and the current plan for our new fire hall provides for this training.
Another important issue would be to focus on the economic drivers we need to encourage companies to locate in our area so they can employ our local residents and keep our community financially sound and vibrant.
We may need more industrial land or a training centre to create more skilled labour for the companies when they relocate.
Again I believe more affordable rental and permanent housing should be investigated.
