Name: Dave Scott
Age: 54
Occupation/background:
I am the development manager at Fairwinds in Nanoose Bay. My experience includes water systems, sewer systems, road construction, parkland acquisition and community planning.
Why are you running for public office?
As a former councillor, with a proven track record, I was encouraged by a number of residents to run again for public office. My children have now finished school so I now have more time to commit to the position.
What three priorities are important to you and how do you plan to tackle these issues if elected?:
Water: The lack of additional water supply has been an issue in the community for more than 20 years. Many options for water have been explored but none have proved to be workable. The current system cannot even adequately supply the existing water system users in the peak summer period. An agreement has recently been signed with Nanaimo to provide additional water supply to Lantzville, and while not a perfect agreement, it does provide an additional source of water for the community. I believe that the connection to Nanaimo needs to proceed. Lantzville also needs to explore how to cost effectively help residents address water issues in those areas with wells that have poor water quality.
Sewer: Expansion of the sewer system to include the Winchelsea area needs to proceed. Studies of other areas experiencing problems with septic field failure need to be initiated, to determine the feasibility of extending sewer to those areas.
Parks: As a strong believer in parks, I believe that the Foothills park needs to be acquired at the earliest opportunity. Lantzville also needs more pedestrian connectivity in the community and I feel one of the highest priority connections should be along Ware Road. This will join Lantzville Road to the Island Highway and will provide connectivity between upper and lower Lantzville.
How do you plan to manage taxes and spending?
I believe in strong fiscal management. Elected officials are entrusted by the community to oversee the communities’ hard earned tax dollars. The budgeting process is probably one of the most important tasks that elected officials undertake. At a maximum of every five years a 'bottom-up' budget should be developed as in many cases, budget items are increased by a percentage basis from year to year.
What do you think it takes to lead Lantzville? Describe your leadership or co-working style:
I believe that community leaders need to have vision. One has to look into the future so that work and projects completed today are a foundation for future projects. Often short-term thinking can be problematic with newly installed infrastructure having to be ripped up and replaced.
I believe in working collaboratively with others to come up with creative solutions to complex issues. One needs to listen, ask questions and ensure that they have all information that is available so that informed decisions can be made.