Fred Pattje - City council

After having completed almost two terms on Council, I have gained valuable experience, and am eager to serve Nanaimo during the next four challenging years.

While there are many issues to be tackled, let me share three priorities with you:

1) Maintaining a safe and secure community: this requires adequate services such as policing and fire fighting, continued maintenance and improvement of water, sewer and road infrastructure, dedicated efforts to create strong neighbourhoods for all of Nanaimo, and to diligently search for, and implement, solutions to eradicate the serious problems of shortages in affordable housing and a far too high rate of poverty, especially where it concerns children!

2) Jobs! Nanaimo needs to promote, attract and retain new industry, such as high-tech and knowledge-based business development that provides well-paying jobs. Small business ventures provide the majority of jobs in our City and I believe that the commercial tax structure needs to be reviewed and aligned with the other tax categories in a much more equitable way than we presently experience.

3) Urban planning: the South Nanaimo Downtown Waterfront Initiative is a major effort concerned with the proper development of our " last urban frontier", the waterfront South of the Gabriola ferry.  We have the vision and guidelines to do this right and, while this is a long-term project, we need to ensure, short-term, that plans for a Transit Exchange and a Fast Foot Passenger Ferry operation do not impede future development of this very important and complex part of Nanaimo's waterfront. I have had the privilege to work on this initiative since its inception, am familiar with the work yet to be done and am eager to continue with this task!

Responsible spending of tax dollars requires a complete understanding of the budget process, its complexities and the ability to at all times see the "big picture" over the life of a five year financial plan, and I do!.  I came from a part of the Netherlands where we were taught to "count your pennies three times or more before spending", and where weekly trips to the bank, forced by my father, to deposit half of my pocket money, for a rainy day" still make for vivid memories and guides me today, both in my private life and that as a Councillor. Spending taxpayer's money is a trust!

 I have been accessible during the last six years, I know how to listen, I do my homework, think critically and always cast my vote with the best interest of the community at heart; it is with that in mind that I am asking for your vote on November 15th!

For more information, please go to my site http://www/fredpattje.ca