Long-time resident and lakecity business owner Sue Lachance is seeking a seat on Williams Lake city council.
“Williams Lake needs strong leaders who come to the table with new ideas, not ideology,” Lachance said Monday in announcing her decision to run in the upcoming municipal election.
She has been a Williams Lake resident for 33 years, and previously sermed on the Cariboo Regional District board representing Area D.
“I care deeply and passionately about my community and I consider serving on council not as politics, but as public service,” Lachance said. “I want to do all I can to contribute to preserving all that’s great about Williams Lake and to getting it back on course.”
Serving on the CRD board from 1999 to 2002 Lachance served as both finance chair and library committee chair.
Lachance’s resume includes holding Certification in Local Government Administration from Capilano University and playing an instrumental role in many positive changes for the city through volunteer work chairing the Williams Lake Economic Development Corporation, Communities in Bloom and as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
As a current business owner and long-time business consultant while working with Community Futures, Lachance says she has a deep understanding of the issues facing the community, specifically the business sector.
She said she is focusing her campaign on several issues, including lowering taxes to help reduce the burden on struggling families and attracting new industry and jobs to Williams Lake.
“I want to get the manufacturing sector to look at Williams Lake as a viable place for value added products,” Lachance said.
“To do that we must be competitive and offer an affordable tax rate.” She also plans on working towards a healthier downtown as well as improving core city services such as street maintenance.
She notes that many streets are in disrepair and although some of the more visible ones were paved in time for this election, there is still much work to be done. “We need honest leaders who can bring investment and good paying jobs to Williams Lake,” concludes Lachance. “We need to be brave and bold, not sitting in offices pushing paperwork and spending money on slogans to sell our city.
“Slogans don’t sell cities, leaders do. Economic development, lower taxes and a refurbished infrastructure are my main goals going forward.”