Williams Lake Tribune

French throws his hat in mayoral ring

By Erin Hitchcock - Williams Lake Tribune

Published: August 19, 2008 8:00 AM
Updated: August 19, 2008 11:53 AM

The race has begun.

City Coun. Paul French has declared he is running for mayor, the first to announce a chase for a municipal seat.

French, who has been a city councillor for the last 15 years and is serving his fifth term on council, says he chose to be the first to make the announcement due to timing.

"I think it's time," he says. "It's getting close to the end of summer. You can dwell on it for a while, but I think that enough people have come and approached me that I have the experience and to get on with it, so I'm going to run," French says.

"You can sit back and wait, but I've been around a long time and it's just time to go."

He says he is choosing to run as mayor instead of councillor because he has enough experience to lead a council and has worked under the agenda of five different mayors.

"I've always tried to work with that mayor's agenda, but it always seems to be that mayor's agenda," he says.

"I've worked hard at trying to be a consensus builder and hope that we get the best resolution possible with the least amount of friction, but my ideas tend to get, 'We'll do it next year.' I want to have my opportunity to lead the community."

French currently holds the City's Social Services and Sustainability portfolio and is on several community committees, including the Social Planning Council and Williams Lake Field Naturalist.

He is also on the Safer Community Committee, 2010 Committee, an alternate for the Well Protection Planning Committee, and the Airshed Quality Management Committee, as well as standing committees, including the Parcel Tax Roll Panel — Downtown Parking and Beatification Tax, Joint Use Facilities, and Treaty Advisory Committee.

He says it's time for the public to get back into politics and time to have a council that makes decisions after hearing from the community.

"We have to make sure we have the public's input prior to making that decision, rather than, 'Oops, we've got to come back and figure out how we can fix it.'"

He says the roads are bad and that there are issues with crime and affordable housing, areas of which he says council hasn't been working hard enough to fix, instead focusing on having a city that is "open for business."

"I think our focus on trying to bring in the big-box stores has kind of taken priority, and I think we need to get back on focusing on the quality of life."

Part of doing that, he says, is also putting further pressure on senior levels of governments for funding assistance.

He says the Esler Ball Park's soccer fields are almost completed, which the City was backing, but has now almost forgotten.

"That's a need the community has to have. We've got to get back to where there's things to do for the kids, things to do for the public."

The City, he says, was pushing for the trail systems, but switched its focus to the open for business model, so those were forgotten as well, he says.

"We need to get back to what the people want, not to what we think the people want."

He says the possibility of running against Mayor Scott Nelson or any other potential candidate isn't a concern for him.

"I think there's bigger fish to fry for Mr. Nelson, and if I have to run against him, I'm quite prepared," he says. "Scott's been a good mayor, and I've enjoyed working with him, but I think I'd have a far better relationship with him at a higher spot."

He says that as a councillor, he helped bring in partnerships for sub-regional recreation, new ball fields, and the Esler complex. He says he also helped build the relationship between the City and the Cariboo Regional District.

See COUNCIL, page A2

French, who works for West Fraser, says he understands the impacts of the pine beetle on the economy and forest industry. He is also a small business owner and says he understands the challenges small businesses face.

"Box stores are very good for box stores. Small business will have to become very creative to maintain its customer base," he says.

"When the richest retailer in the world wants to come, they'll come. We shouldn't be begging and crying and scratching, and that goes for any developer."

French says he is also a strong advocate of the City's sustainability committee.

"I believe that will be one of the driving forces of how we survive, because sustainability just isn't about the climate. It's about how we get economic diversification," he says, adding that the recommendations from the City's water committee need to be taken seriously.

He adds that while he feels Nelson has been a good a mayor, he thinks he can do better.

"Scott's done a great job with this council of building consensus, because he gets the flavour, so I can't fault Scott. I just think it's time for a different philosophy or different direction," he says. "The way it is now is it's a one-man show. You won't have the big picture in the foyer of City Hall of what we're going to do with me as mayor until it's actually something we're going to do."

The municipal elections are on Nov. 15. At press time, no other candidates had officially announced plans to run for a municipal seat.

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