Sandra Roberts will be seeking her second term on Council, and asks for your vote on October 20, 2018.
Roberts says she really enjoyed her first term and feels that, as a Council, a lot was accomplished.
Although Roberts and her husband Bill have lived in Kimberley for many years, in 2008 they left briefly.
“At that time, the town was so neglected,” she said. “After two years away, we were unable to sell our house and we came back.
“It was clear I couldn’t sit around and complain.”
The learning curve is steep for a new councillor and Roberts says she relied on direction from the newly elected Mayor Don McCormick, who had sat on Council previously.
“We created a strategic plan,” she said. “As someone who has always worked with a plan, I appreciated that. You can measure where your are and whether it will take you to your goal.
“I’m amazed at how bang on we are at meeting the goals we set. If you look at the City’s Annual Report, you can see it. We said we would do it, and we did it.
“I feel strongly about continuing to head in the same direction.”
Roberts says that in the past term, you only have to look at Kimberley’s renewed relationships within the region.
“We used to have an adversarial relationship with Cranbrook, and no relationship at all with the Aq’am. It’s a credit to Council and the leadership over the past four years, that not only do we have relationships, but excellent ones.”
She points to the Cranbrook Kimberley Development Initiative, which has received many inquiries from businesses interested in the region.
“It’s bringing people to the region, not just our town.
“And it would be fair to say that this is an endorsement of Don McCormick and his leadership.”
Roberts also points to Kimberley’s success in receiving government grants over the past few years.
“It’s because we making it clear we are helping ourselves first. We go to Ministries with plans and ideas and money in our budget and say ‘will you help us?’. We’re not just looking for handouts. We are clear with our objectives.”
Roberts also has kind words for the entire Council she has worked with the past four years.
“We have many great discussions, go back and forth, we don’t always agree. But once it’s done, it’s done. You don’t have to feel afraid to vote for what you believe. It’s great to have that comfort level.
“We’ve been on a progressive path and are slowly making headway. Economic development does not happen quickly. We are just starting to see results.”
Roberts says she is proud of everything that has been put in place and would like to remain a part of it.