I am so pleased with the results of the Whitehorse municipal election. I came in last but did not lose.
I have discovered 239 leaders in our community. Two hundred and thirty-nine citizens who can have a greater vision for our community, a broader vision for our government. A vision that Whitehorse can be a sustainable, liveable city.
My campaign for city government was singularly focused on social development - a single concept. My campaign was for the role of council to become the glue that holds our community together within that plan.
It would have been very easy to use the standard rhetoric that every municipal politician uses everywhere. I could have said that if elected I will keep taxes low by finding efficiencies in government. I could have said we need to improve transit and traffic flows. We need more bike lanes and have to keep expanding our parks and trails. I could have said we need more affordable housing without actually having a plan to keep our roads clear of snow or agree to cater to special interest groups lobbying during an election.
This is what every politician says but it is redundant, it is the job of council. Municipal politicians get elected not for creative ideas of a greater purpose for their communities, they all say the same.
They get elected for their personalities. I don’t have a personality. I am not known. The 239 people who voted for me, voted for an idea, a vision. They voted to create partnerships between our service providers, citizens, NGOs and various levels of government to deliver efficient services to enhance the lives of our citizens, to create a land trust that is proven to deliver affordable housing.
They voted to address the hardships of other citizens in a comprehensive manner rather than to allow vertical silos of bureaucracies flounder around acting independently. They voted to become leaders by voting for an idea outside the box.
Each and every one of those 239 votes is vitally important to me and I can’t let them down. They didn’t let me down and I will continue to advocate for these values in whatever avenue I can. I appreciate sharing these principles with them and am proud to be counted in their number. Thank you for being you, for being a leader.v
Scott Etches
Whitehorse