Well-known Cranbrook resident Danielle Cardozo wants to claim a seat on City of Cranbrook council in the Nov. 15 municipal election.

The following is a submission she provided to e-KNOW outlining why she is running for council, what she believes needs to be done and her credentials.

 

It is my pleasure to announce to the residents of Cranbrook that I have made the decision to run for council in the City of Cranbrook 2014 Municipal Election.

This decision comes after many years of community involvement in Cranbrook, and an exciting year of personal growth.

While I hope that residents of Cranbrook will use my appearance on MasterChef Canada to identify that I am particularly ambitious and dedicated to representing Cranbrook with integrity, I hope that they’ll take the opportunity to recognize that my true passion lies in community and economic development.

As I run for council, I would like residents to know that my focus will be on economic development, as a means to support local business, infrastructure growth, and decreased taxes.

I currently hold the position of Business Development Coordinator with St. Mary’s Band; as well as their Development Corporation Aq’am Community Enterprises.

Previous to these positions, I worked as the Employment Development Officer with the Ktunaxa Nation. My experience in these positions has allowed me to work with multiple local businesses and resource industries; learn about local and provincial tendering policies and procedures; study and apply innovative business models; and implement employment strategies based on current labour market trends.

I believe that in order to build a strong economy in Cranbrook, we need to focus on economic growth first and foremost. It is almost impossible to have infrastructure growth without an income beyond a tax base, especially on a shrinking tax base.

Cranbrook needs councillors who understand new generation business models that can support family-owned businesses and encourage growth in our local market.

Cranbrook needs councillors who know how to, and are willing to, support responsible economic growth; so that we can increase our tax base and decrease our tax rates. This is what will encourage new residents, new doctors, and new industries to relocate in our community; a community that values and supports its residents. I know that these are qualities that I can bring to council.

Cranbrook needs councillors who understand provincial and municipal processes, such as those under the Trade, Investment, Labour Mobility Agreement; so that Cranbrook can support local contractors in how to competitively bid on municipally and provincially regulated projects like the current hospital expansion. The province has stated that since 2001, $67 Million has gone to expansion and upgrades at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. This work should have been done by local contractors. This money should have stayed in Cranbrook.

I support growth in Cranbrook. But I understand also that residents want to see growth, without losing our community values that can be lost when growth occurs too quickly. By focusing on supporting entrepreneurs to use innovative business models, such as localized low-cost, new generation cooperative, and one-off experiences; we can build local economy internally. My ultimate goal is to support current local businesses and increase the number of new locally owned businesses.

I am on side with my fellow candidates in that I want to see increased infrastructure sustainability and growth. By implementing strong economic development strategies, we can bring in the financial resources to then support infrastructure such as roads and sewers. Cranbrook will not get ahead of these roads if new strategies aren’t implemented. It is critical that we take the current 15-year infrastructure plan, and reduce it to a 10-year plan. By reducing it to a 10-year plan, we free up five years to focus on growth, rather than simply maintenance.

Cranbrook will only do this through increased economic development.

I value the Cranbrook community. It is the community that I grew up in. It is the community I have chosen to raise my children in. My recent television appearance has provided me with a great deal of opportunity to leave Cranbrook, and pursue a career outside of the Kootenays. I have chosen not to pursue those opportunities because I do not want to leave Cranbrook. I do not want to leave the place I love; the place that my children and I call home.

I have more than six year’s post-secondary experience.

College of the Rockies

– Associate Degree in Humanities;

– Dean’s List;

– President’s Award for Academic Achievement; and Contribution to Student Life.

University of Victoria

– Bachelor of Education;

– President’s Award for top one per cent Academic Standing in the Faculty of Education;

– Induction into the Golden Key Honor Society for top three per cent Academic Standing in the University of Victoria.

Banff Centre

– Current student working towards Certification in Indigenous Leadership, Governance, and Management Excellence.

Over the past 10 years I have been involved in multiple local decision making and advisories committees; as well as working groups, including:

– President, College of the Rockies, Aboriginal Student Association;

– Member of the College of the Rockies Board of Governors;

– Member of the College of the Rockies Aboriginal Advisory Committee;

– Ktunaxa Nation Council Qukin Nuʔkiyʔis Representative for Impact Management Benefit Agreement (IMBA) Negotiations with Teck Coal;

– Ktunaxa/ Canfor Joint Management Advisory Committee Representative for the Employment Sub-Committee;

– Member of the College of the Rockies Social Science, Humanities, and Fine Arts Advisory Committee (current);

– Ktunaxa/Teck IMBA Sub-Committee Representative for the Procurement Employment Operational Working Group (current);

I am also proudly working with Cranbrook Food Action to develop a strategy to raise awareness on Cranbrook’s food access issues.

– Submitted by Danielle Cardozo

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