Cranbrook born and raised former firefighter, Fire Commissioner, Fire Chief and City Councillor, Wayne Price is running to be the new mayor of the City of Cranbrook.

Price believes Cranbrook is at a crossroads, and he sees homelessness and crime, city leadership and fiscal responsibility as the key issues in this election.

“We’ve had development growth in Cranbrook in the last few years,” said Price. “But we are also seeing growth in homelessness and crime. We don’t have to look too far in our province to see where this road could lead. We are at a crucial time in our history, and we must make the right choices to make sure our future city is safe, resilient and strong.”

Price feels he has the ability and experience that a successful mayor needs to meet the challenges ahead. “My life has been about serving the public and keeping people safe,” said Price. “I have almost 40 years firsthand experience working with all levels and facets of our community. I have effectively worked with teams of people to solve problems. I’ve responsibly managed large budgets. I have worked cooperatively with all levels of government, of all political stripes. “

Price says he understands that homelessness is the result of many causes, and finding solutions starts with a clear-eyed understanding of all aspects of the problem. “We’re not going to address this problem sitting in an office in City Hall and tinkering around the edges,” he said.

“We need a boots-on-the-ground understanding. We need action now. That’s why I have been meeting with community groups, law enforcement and local businesses to hear directly from those most effected by homelessness and with the largest stake in finding a solution. As mayor I will immediately form a working group to tackle this problem head on with my fellow councillors, including reaching out to partner with the provincial government.”

Price acknowledges that crime is primarily an issue for law enforcement, but there are things that the city and citizens can do to address it. “We have a problem with vacant buildings, rundown and unkempt properties. We are seeing trash and weeds growing on public property. If we don’t take pride in how our city looks, no one will respect our community spaces and crime will increase,” said Price.

“As mayor I will recommend we redirect city resources to our bylaw team to deal with persistent problems, and to our public works department to better maintain public properties and streets. I will reach out to community groups to re- charge our beautification efforts in the city.”

One of the reasons Price ran for council four years ago was his dissatisfaction with the type of leadership he saw at City Hall, the seeming lack of transparency and personnel conflicts. “Those problems have improved somewhat since I’ve been on city council, but I think we need to go further in letting our community know what and why we are doing things,” said Price. “I also believe as mayor you must have the strength of character to listen fairly to those who may have different views than your own. That’s true leadership.”

Price is proud of the work he and his fellow councillors, city staff and city workers have achieved in the last term, particularly around road paving, re-building infrastructure, as well as supporting the construction of needed rental housing.

“As mayor I will continue to make sure we live within our means, ensuring that investments in our infrastructure are distributed wisely and fairly, always looking to partner with businesses and community groups, as well as other levels of government to maximize funding.

“As mayor I will be on the front line, working for the citizens of Cranbrook every day, to make sure our city is safe, resilient and strong.”

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