Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick announced this week that he would be seeking re-election this fall. After speaking to the Bulletin on Tuesday, he issued a full statement on why he feels he needs another term.
“I am pleased to announce that I will be running for re-election as mayor of Kimberley on October 20, 2018. Four more years is a significant commitment, not only for me but for my family. Fortunately, my wife Bev, who shares the daily up and downs of elected office, agrees with the many people who have been encouraging me to run again and continue the job we started.
Working together as a community, we have accomplished a lot in the past four years. As mayor, leading the city toward sustainable growth has been my highest priority, and I am pleased to report that every key performance indicator in Kimberley has shown improvement. One leading indicator is building permits, which are a measure of the confidence people have in our community – our building permit construction value grew from $6 million in 2014 to $14 million last year.
This investment has resulted in $306,000 in new tax revenue. This new tax money, combined with savings resulting from an ongoing service review, has enabled us to hold tax increases to the inflation rate for the last four years. Our goal is to continue to hold tax increases at the same level for the next four years.
The Mark Creek rehabilitation is finished, our community has been greatly enhanced by our five award-winning wooden bridges, we repaved Gerry Sorensen Way, and we have forged a strong working relationship with our neighbours in Cranbrook.
All of the talk about infrastructure was not just talk. For the first time in memory, our capital investments in infrastructure were greater than the depreciation of those assets. Significantly, we have cut $5.6 million from the city’s huge $73-million infrastructure deficit. After four years of laying the groundwork, Kimberley is becoming a sustainable city.
We are now poised to enter a new era of prosperity. People want to live in Kimberley, and population growth means prosperity for our business community. Already more than $50 million in development opportunities is being investigated.
However, much work remains to be accomplished. Our economic success has brought with it a host of new challenges – over the next four years we will need to address housing shortages, build a stronger industrial tax base, continue to replace our aging infrastructure, and ensure that businesses in Kimberley have adequate resources to meet the challenges that come with growth.
I have a plan to accomplish all this, and more. We will be unveiling details about this plan as the election campaign gets underway this fall. You will be able to visit my campaign website for more information, and we will begin posting regularly to social media sites. I will also be continuing to engage with as many people as possible on the issues facing our community.
Please help make our great mountain city even more sustainable. I am asking for your vote on October 20. Let’s keep moving forward together on the path to prosperity.”