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Passing of the old guard

Editorial

The ending of B.C.’s first four-year term for local government will bring a wave of change to the Sunshine Coast.

A full three months before nominations close on Sept. 14, we already know that four out of five Sunshine Coast Regional District rural-area directors will not seek re-election: former chair Garry Nohr (Halfmoon Bay), former vice chair Frank Mauro (Pender Harbour/Egmont), current vice chair Ian Winn (West Howe Sound) and Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell. School District No. 46 will lose at least four of its seven trustees – Dave Mewhort, Greg Russell, Betty Baxter and Christine Younghusband – and likely a fifth, chair Lori Pratt. And significantly for Gibsons, the town will lose its popular two-term mayor, Wayne Rowe. Of the 10 sitting Sechelt and Gibsons municipal councillors, nine have yet to declare their intentions.

The change from three- to four-year terms is undoubtedly a factor in both the mass bailing out of incumbents and the reluctance to commit among many of the others, even those who have served only a portion of a single term. If this is going to be a regular feature of the four-year election cycle, it doesn’t bode well for continuity in local government.

With the loss of decades of combined experience – Mewhort and Russell alone have served 12 terms between them – comes the opportunity for new talent to emerge, as some of the old guard are pointing out as they head for the exits. That’s an exciting prospect. However, with all this turnover combined with the longer mandate and the many serious challenges facing the Sunshine Coast, it’s more important than ever that voters scrutinize the fitness of the candidates who step forward.

It’s not enough for them to simply identify the important issues. We all know what the important issues are. What we need to know is how the candidates intend to address them – whether that means shepherding through existing plans and policies or the more difficult task of attempting to build political consensus to chart a different course. Do they know what existing policies are? Do they understand process? Do they have a strong handle on the community’s wants and needs? Will they be so overwhelmed that they’re unable to think outside the bureaucratic box?

Serving in local government can be a tremendous job, but it requires intellect, conviction, fairness, common sense, exceptional reading and communication skills, and a willingness to dig hard into complex and sometimes painfully tedious material – all for about the same pay as a hard-working salal picker.

If you’re that person, this could be your time – because big shoes to fill are lining up fast.