By Mayor Lee Pratt

Op-Ed Commentary

Elections are about trust, choice and accountability.

I think we all would have preferred to see this election be about regular issues: moving our city forward, paving our streets and choosing who is best to manage and invest your hard-earned tax dollars. These are important issues and you have my commitment to continue to deliver in these areas. But the fact is, there exists a problematic and growing issue around homelessness, drugs and crime in our city. The overwhelming feedback received from the community is that residents have had enough.

I hear you and share your position.

We need to continue to approach working on this crisis with compassion. However, we also must acknowledge that our children and grandchildren deserve better than barbed wire, rising crime and tent cities.

These are not solutions that represent who we are in Cranbrook. We must prioritize the safety of our children and community over the repeat offenders and drug dealers who have caused Cranbrook’s crime rate to rise dramatically.

My opponents may try to conflate and confuse the terms “homeless” and “offenders” so allow me to be clear. Those who are homeless deserve our compassion, attention and care. Those who repeatedly break the law, and who have no regard for our way of life in Cranbrook, deserve to be arrested and sent through the Provincial Court system. Those found guilty of crime should go to jail, where they can seek the help they need.

This is a civic election with a provincial government-caused crisis at its centre. The city requires a stronger partner in the province to solve the root causes of this crisis and I will continue to advocate, on your behalf, for that partnership and support. I will also continue to seek out partnerships and act on solutions to the crisis that fall under the city’s jurisdiction and the authority of council.

There are a few individuals, including my challenger, who are working to move this crisis, complete with crime levels and access to drugs, to a location across the street from our children and grandchildren’s high school. I am opposed to, and voted against, migrating or expanding this crisis to include proximity to students, a day care, youth hockey facilities and the thousands of families who use the rec-plex every year.

As Mayor I will continue to work diligently on behalf of the people of Cranbrook to address this crisis and ensure a return to the safe mountain community that we have come to know over the years. The people of Cranbrook have spoken loudly, they deserve nothing less, and, as always, I will take action.

This election you have a choice. If you’d like four more years of a straight forward and honest Mayor who listens and works hard to solve difficult issues, then I am asking for your support.

Our community is demanding action, and I will not ignore it. Additional details of my work to address the homeless and crime issues in Cranbrook will be made available on my official campaign website: voteleepratt.ca

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