Name: Roderick (Rod) Negrave
Age: 48
Occupation/background: Natural resource sciences; currently research section head, Coast Area, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Why are you running for public office?
Residents of Lantzville deserve fair, open and effective government that listens to them when it comes to decision making. I’m willing to work to make sure this happens. Lantzville is also facing some challenges and opportunities, decisions which will affect the character and sustainability of the community. I want to makes sure fair and effective processes are used to ensure the best decisions are made and that resident’s voices are heard and drive the decision making process.
What three priorities are important to you and how do you plan to tackle these issues, if elected?
Upgrading/enhancing the village core: The Village Commercial Core Improvement Plan needs to be presented to and confirmed by residents. The challenge will be how to implement this plan, while retaining the current village character, and determining the most effective zoning and infrastructure investments to achieve this.
Water supply/distribution: The biggest question facing Lantzville – it will largely determine any future development and the long-term sustainability of the community. We need to analyze the security of our water supply and determine how incremental supplies from Nanaimo will be used to relieve current water-supply pressure on residents, be used as a reserve against the future, or support limited strategic development, such as senior’s housing in the community.
Development: Development is linked to water supply and this point needs to be realized. We should not see much new development in Lantzville due to limitations on our aquifer – we don’t want much more pressure on it with current climate-change forecasts. Any new development should be analyzed very closely and action taken to regulate it so that it supports the community’s vision and is not haphazard.
How do you plan to manage taxes and spending?
It is important to take a long-term view and objectively analyze expenditures to determine which are truly costs,which are investments, and what the return to the community from these might be. Costs clearly need to be minimized, while maintaining levels of service acceptable to the community and minimizing risk. Expenditures that maximize return should be favoured. Nobody wants to see tax increases but the only way we are going to keep taxes down over time is by smart investment in expenditures that offer the best return to the community over time, like transit. Relying only on a penny-pinching approach to budgeting without discrimination between what are true costs and what are appropriate investments will not keep taxes low in the long run – it will increase them, while decreasing services. We need to get the most out of any taxes collected.
What do you think it takes to lead Lantzville? Describe your leadership or co-working style.
I think it will take someone that is respectful of others, who can listen and analyze different or opposing views objectively without getting partisan; someone who is good at listening and takes seriously the good of the community as a whole; someone who can take a long-term view of decision making; someone who can work collectively and not try and dominate decision-making processes.