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Kelowna 2005 Civic Elections - Matt Cherrille for City Council
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I'm 45, married with two children and have lived in Kelowna for 19 years. I was News Director at CKOV for nearly 8 years and a reporter with the radio station for 18 years. I spent several years as the beat reporter covering City Hall,
School Board, Chamber of Commerce and other political and business groups. I'm quite involved in the local sporting scene and am a member of the Civic and Community Awards Sports Committee.
I also write a sports opinion column for the Capital News. After 23 years in the media, most of those rising at the un-godly hour of 3 a.m., I'm switching careers and hope to become a real estate appraiser.
Despite what some people in the community may think, I do not believe the current council has not done a poor job. Sure mistakes have been made but council members have had the very difficult task of presiding over a city that has
gone through unprecedented growth. Every council member should be congratulated for their hard work and dedication over the last several years.
However, it is indeed time for change. I don’t believe anyone should serve for more than three terms. I recall Mayor Walter Gray once said the same thing himself but I guess he has had a change of heart.
With all due respect, it's definitely time for some new younger blood on council. I’ve never been a politician but I’ve sat on the other side of the fence as a member of the news media for over two decades and I’ve covered
hundreds of council meetings on the Coast and in Kelowna. One important lesson I’ve learned is that as a council member you are only once voice out of nine so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to be promising
everything under the sun. The only promise I’ll make is I will always try my best to put the welfare of Kelowna residents first.
My immediate priorities include making sure all citizens, particularly our seniors and families, feel safe downtown and in all other areas of the city. The recent crack-down on crime in the downtown area is a good start but
more has to be done. Adding several more police officers is the first step and we must give them the tools to do their jobs properly so we can take back our streets from the criminal element.
Other priorities include improvements in traffic and the public transit system, a second crossing of the lake, better communication concerning roadwork projects, more parking in the downtown area, re-opening the Youth
Detox Centre, more affordable housing, expansion of the Apple Bowl and more parks and sports fields.
I've left most people's favourite topics for last, growth and development. It's a fact that Kelowna will continue to grow because so many people want to live here. Can you blame them? It seems some Kelowna
residents want to put up a barbed-wire fence to keep newcomers out. That's ridiculous! What we need is common sense development. I don't believe in a blanket policy for all development. Every project should be
judged on its own merits and Kelowna residents should be given every opportunity to offer input. It's the job of city council to listen to all sides and make the decision which is in the best interests of Kelowna.
We can't do anything about some of the mistakes of the past but we can't shut down the city to every proposed new development either.
Kelowna is the envy of cities worldwide and I want to do my part to make sure it remains that way. I look forward to talking with as many people as possible.
Matt Cherrille
rangers0@shaw.ca
MoveKelownaForward.com has contacted this candidate and received permission to publish this information.
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