Leslie Lax for Kamloops City Council

My name is Leslie Lax, I am an active and engaged resident of Kamloops and I would be honoured to represent you on Kamloops City Council. Kamloops needs strong, effective leaders who come to the table with an open, balanced approach and have the experience to promote growth. I bring all of these qualities to the table along with a passion to serve our community. Kamloops is a truly wonderful, welcoming and diverse city. We have a strong business sector. We have fantastic recreational facilities. We have a vibrant arts and culture community, great opportunities for post-secondary education, and a world of nature at our doorstep. With the right leadership we can grow and prosper. I am a consulting economist who has worked in the field of economic development for over 20 years. I have extensive experience working closely with municipal administration, Mayors and Councils in communities across British Columbia. My education includes a Master’s degree in Economics and I have focussed on facilitating economic development and strategic planning with local governments and First Nations. I also have served on the boards of a number of community and economic development organisations. I understand the balance between governance and administration. Building on what we have we must bring a new and progressive energy to our city. • Fiscal Responsibility – As an economist and entrepreneur I believe we need to take the time to review our tax revenue requirements and identify and implement opportunities for savings from city operations. We need to ensure that we get best value for the tax dollars we do collect. The City has 650 qualified employees who can bring their workplace knowledge and creativity to working more effectively. I support carefully reviewing the efficiency of services, assessing spending and investing and managing the City’s assets to the best benefit of the community. Fiscal responsibility means we spend your tax dollars wisely and avoid unnecessary tax increases. • Community Engagement – Each neighbourhood offers its own strengths and faces its own challenges. Every neighbourhood must have an opportunity for input into city decisions. I support options to make information more accessible to the public, with enough lead time for input. I also support options to make council meetings more accessible to the public. • Economic Growth – Building on our strengths we must support responsible business investment in existing, new and emerging sectors. Kamloops needs economic diversity with well-paying jobs to meet the needs of our growing population. I support improving how City departments work with business owners and investors. I understand the tools and have experience in successfully implementing economic development plans. Economic growth means supporting responsible investments that bring steady, good paying jobs to Kamloops. A strong economy means a prosperous community. A prosperous Kamloops will have the capacity to support the needs of all residents of our city. Beyond ensuring you get the best value for your tax dollars, my focus on community growth and my track record of effectively working with diverse stakeholder groups, I bring a progressive, creative problem solving approach to working on Council. If elected you have my commitment to work on your behalf. I will represent your interests as best I can and contribute to the effective governance and growth of the City of Kamloops.