My picks for Nanaimo's By-election
All 13 candidates have desirable qualities for the one councillor position up for grabs on July 8th. In order to attempt to prioritise them I used a 10 point scale as follows: Ability to: 1. connect with and really hear where people are coming from, including genuine consultation with the local Snuneymuxw First Nation 2. be astute managers –which includes putting sufficient effort to listen to people; do their own research; attend meetings and public events; and be able to make their own decisions (vs. blindly vote along with others) 3. think through problems creatively, preferably by finding “win-win” solutions for all involved 4. balance fiscal restraints with community needs 5. sniff out when staff are trying to manipulate councillors to vote a certain way 6. have a vision of sustainability and affordability for the community and our planetary home 7. be authentic (not fake or egotistical) 8. be a team play