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Shayne May, VVLA candidate for council

Shayne May: Boundary expansion would reflect community reality

Proust Questionnaire

Name

: Shayne Douglas May

Political experience

: Zero experience but I have been to many meetings

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Living in poverty and racism.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?

Finding a cure for cancer.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction?

Zorro.

Who are your favourite characters in history?

Lance Armstrong for his will and determination.

Your favorite musician?

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

The quality you most admire in a woman?

That my wife always supports my thoughts in every way.

The quality you most admire in a man?

To be a leader and not to follow.

What natural ability would you have liked to have had?

To be more patient at all times.

Your most marked characteristic?

My kindness to all.

What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty and integrity.

What is it you most dislike?

Bad drivers and slow golfers.

What reform do you most admire?

Accountability of our municipal government.

What is your motto?

The five "P’s" of success: Proper planning prevents poor performance.

At 25, Shayne May is the youngest member of the Valley Vision: Leadership in Action slate. Having toddled into town with his family 22 years ago, May is fully ingrained and committed to life in Pemberton. Recently married (he was packing for his honeymoon during this phone interview), he wants to be part of creating a community for his own family.

While he may look youthful, May exudes the type of maturity associated with people much older, which may be related to the responsibilities he’s chosen to take on. The general manager of Mountain Glass and Mirror, a business established by his father, May spends his leisure time coaching senior boys basketball at Pemberton Secondary School.

A political neophyte, May is not ashamed to admit what he doesn’t yet know. Asked about his feelings regarding the current Official Community Plan, he’s candid.

"I’m not that familiar with it," he says.

However, on the issue of boundary expansion, May has some very definite ideas.

"I am completely in favour of boundary expansion," says May. "I think we should look at an area of a five-mile radius from the middle of town. That would take it out to the Ryan River, over to the golf courses and almost all the way to Walkerville."

By including residences and businesses in Pemberton’s official footprint at both ends of the valley May believes that the subsequent tax base would outweigh the infrastructure costs and create a more realistic picture of the community.

"As it is, all those areas are sharing some of the same services like firefighters and ambulances," says May.

On the issue of affordability, May has no definite solutions to what he sees as a pressing issue. But he believes it is very important to make the community accessible to families and young people.

Active in the local business community, May is well aware of the impact commercial and industrial taxes can have on the village budget. He believes one of the ways to expand the tax base and stimulate the local economy is to service the industrial park.

"Commercial and industrial taxes are three or four times more than residential taxes," he notes.

In regards to specific strategies for economic growth and job creation, May sees these as obvious areas of concern, but he feels that he needs to explore and understand the options better. The fact that May learned to manage a business through hands-on experience demonstrates his capacity for learning on the job.

As an athlete and a coach, May knows firsthand the value of recreation in the community. Having been raised in Pemberton, he has experienced what it’s like to be recreationally under-resourced.

"We definitely need more recreation in Pemberton," says May. "And we have to look at ways to pay for it that don’t make taxes go up."

Like other proponents of increased recreation facilities, May sees creative partnerships and the reallocation of developer cost charges as potential ways of offsetting the tax burden. He is not in favour of the current community centre plan, a project that is being presented as a referendum question on the upcoming ballot. He is also concerned about the impact of closing the existing community centre

"We’ll have one less gym in the area to use," he states.

In terms of Pemberton’s relationship with Mount Currie, May does not share the enthusiasm for recent developments that other candidates have expressed.

"I don’t think the relationship between Pemberton and Mount Currie is as good as it could be," says May. "I think there’s a lot of opportunity to improve it."



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