Long-time resident and active community member Sharon Cross has declared that she will run for Cranbrook City Council in the upcoming municipal election.

With a strong record of volunteering with non-profits, spearheading innovative community action programs and her consistent commitment to making Cranbrook the type of community we all want to live in, serving at the municipal level is a natural next step, she stated in a media release.

“Community and service have always been very important themes for me,” said Cross.  “I feel strongly that it is time for new voices on council; voices that put the taxpayer first in decision-making.”

Cross quotes her favorite statement by Winston Churchill: ‘The government is the servant of the people and not its master.’ But she feels that a lot of politicians have forgotten that.

When asked what she can offer the citizens of Cranbrook, Cross focuses on three themes: respect, responsibility and balance.

“Having attended council meetings regularly for the past four years I’d like to see a council that is open to listening and respecting the views of all sides of an issue,” stated Cross.  “We need healthy debate prior to decisions being made. We need to create an open and receptive environment for our citizens so they feel comfortable presenting their ideas.

“According to the Growth Management Study the City paid $500,000 for we know that Cranbrook’s infrastructure requires serious upgrading and that will cost money.  We will need to make responsible and prudent choices about how best to address these needs.

“And we must develop a more balanced and all-encompassing approach to planning for the future of our city.  We must follow the values set out in the Cranbrook Connected document so that decisions are made in the best interest of all citizens.

“We all need to work together to implement our hopes and dreams for our city,” continued Cross.  “For instance, all residents should be able to enjoy a wide variety of arts and entertainment and have access to suitable recreational facilities. Integrating arts into our neighbourhoods results in re-energizing our community, and that has a positive economic outcome.

“Having been involved in community garden plantings, eco-system restoration projects and public murals, I support continuing the work of business owners, private citizens and community groups to make Cranbrook and area an attractive place to live,” she said.

Cross has been active in helping to build her community through her involvement in various organizations such as the Cranbrook Community Forest Society, the Community Social Planning Society and East Kootenay Citizens for Clean Air. She is the past President of Mainstreams Society, the past President of Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook, and a founding member of the Kootenay Freewheelers Bicycling Club.

Cross now works with her husband, internationally acclaimed artist Joseph Cross, as his studio manager.

Previously, Cross worked for over 20 years at the College of the Rockies, mostly as the executive assistant to the president.

Between now and election day on November 19, Cross will be spending her time getting out in the community to talk to voters. Expect to see her or one of her volunteers on your doorstep over the next number of weeks.

“I know my role as councillor will be to listen to you. And that starts now. Let me know how you think your city should be governed,” she stated.

Cross can be reached by phone at 250-489-4412 or by email at [email protected]. You can also visit her website at www.SharonCross.ca.

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