The next civic election campaign is set to get underway this September, and the big question is what can potential candidates do to boost their chances of securing a seat around the council table?
Without belabouring the obvious, it nevertheless must be emphasized that the most successful council contestants will be those who can effectively sell their brand to the voting public.
Getting a resume up to speed and hosting a professionally designed website are priorities.
As well, Twitter and Instagram (and Tik Tok?) accounts and an updated Facebook presence are essential self-endorsement platforms for serious contenders.
Even so, padding those information conduits with a long list of personal affiliations, associations and causes can be counterproductive.
Voters are looking for leaders and change agents who can demonstrate how they took the organizations with which they were affiliated to the next level.
A strong stage presence during all-candidates meetings is also important.
Showcasing a comprehensive platform and being accessible will go a long way towards gaining recognition.
Former Squamish mayor and councillor Corinne Lonsdale advises candidates to “Knock on doors, host conversations in cafes, hang out at the Farmers Market and other events and be sure to return phone calls and respond to messages in a timely way.”
On the downside, candidates suffering from ego overload, or a track record of getting under people’s skin, will find the going tough.
Those with a knack for collaboration and willingness to embrace a wide range of opinions leading to informed decisions will have an advantage on the hustings.
Staying real is imperative.
“I’m passionate about Squamish” affirmations and feel-good platforms lacking in substance will gain limited traction from the electorate.
In the past, more than a few candidates whose self-declared enthusiasm for this community runneth over disappeared into the woodwork when they failed to get the green light from voters.
Several de-camped to far-flung jurisdictions and were never seen or heard from again. So much for any semblance of long-term commitment.
Familiarity with major directives and the ability to leverage that knowledge in discussion forums is imperative.
The Official Community Plan, the 2022-2026 Five Year Financial Plan, the council Strategic Plan, and the Sea to Sky Corridor Regional Transit Study all come to mind. The latter should be a fulcrum for a serious look at why this town, now a major hub in the Sea to Sky Corridor, still lacks regional transit and what steps must be taken to advance that agenda.
Attendance at live council meetings to get a feel for procedures and group dynamics is a must-do on every aspiring council member’s bucket list.
In the meantime, tapping into the District’s video library can be a stepping stone in that direction.
A good example of the ebb and flow of council deliberations is the Regular Business Meeting held on April 5th this year.
A key discussion topic was whether the growth management boundary should be expanded to include DL 509 and DL 510 (aka the Cheema lands) as residential neighbourhoods.
Candidates need to have a firm grasp of the pinch points in this community and offer workable solutions to ease the pain.
Monitoring social media scuttlebutt to take the town’s pulse can be helpful, but those electronic forums have a reputation for call-out histrionics and misinformation. That said, there are plenty of issues to mull over, including out-of-control development, traffic congestion, a lack of affordable housing, and besieged and under-staffed services.
Lonsdale believes, “We are at a crossroads. Our population has increased too quickly. Our newer residents and those who have lived here for a decade or more have not merged well. We have lost the sense of community that we had only a decade ago.”
She added that a good portion of Squamish is below sea level, and “council, who are influenced by staff, seem so totally committed to encouraging high density on the floodplain.”
All told, as much as there is no magic formula for electoral success, the suggestions outlined here will optimistically provide practical guidance for council aspirants looking to get the nod at the polls.
Helmut Manzl is a long-time Squamish resident and a bimonthly political columnist for The Squamish Chief.
