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Council candidate: Jack Crompton

Age: 33 Website: www.jackcrompton.
1545crompton

Age: 33

Website: www.jackcrompton.ca

Occupation: Business owner

Last book read: The Natural Step for Communities

What music are you listening to these days? John Coltrane, Bruce Cockburn, Phish and The Cure

Favourite recreational pursuits: Hiking, golfing, skiing, swimming and reading.

1. Why are you running for council?

I want to ensure the economic health of our community. We have done a great job taking care of our environment, and we work hard at taking care of our community. However as I look at what the issues are now, I think a weak economy will translate into a weak community and a decreased ability to take care of our environment.

I think I have something to offer. I work hard, I listen, and my door will be open. I have found it difficult trying to communicate with council on some of the projects I have presented myself. I would like to see us be even better than we are.

2. Given that revenue from development is declining and the municipality is more dependent on hotel tax revenue at a time of economic uncertainty, how do you propose the municipality balance its budgets the next few years?

Cut spending. It is pretty straightforward, but there are not many options I support for alterative streams of revenue for the municipality. I would support an application to the provincial government for a piece of the land transfer tax, but the bottom line is we are going to have to make some tough decisions and cut some spending.

3. What other important issues does Whistler face in the next three years?

We need to diversify our economy. It makes some sense to consider a university or a high tech sector and just finding out if there are any other industries that make sense in our community. We are tourism experts and we need to continue doing that but I don’t understand the hesitancy of looking at alternative streams of revenue for our valley. I just don’t want us to take any opportunities off the table completely.

Daycare needs to be dealt with almost immediately. I spoke with Christine Buttkus the other day, who is one of the people pushing hard to find a solution, and they still need some help.

We all know Whistler is facing serious effects from the global economic downturn and we need to get some of our local business experts together and come up with some real and practical solutions right now. I would support seeing representatives of the chamber, Tourism Whistler, and the municipality getting together and considering where we go from here. I agree that we are better set up than most ski resorts but that does not mean we do not need to respond quickly to what is happening. We need to come together and really help Tourism Whistler drive room nights. We need to come together and help the chamber address short-term employee housing. If we just leave them alone and don’t give them the support they need, we will find ourselves in even more trouble than we are in right now.

4. What needs to be done to address those issues?

Look hard at the proposal for the University of Whistler. There have been suggestions that a land swap might make some sense. We should investigate whether or not that is a reality. A university in our town is a green and sustainable industry if there ever was one. If there is a way we can make it happen, we should.

As far as daycare, there are experts dealing with this right now, council needs to listen to the solutions that they will come up with and do whatever we can to make sure that they are successful. The solution will not be a municipally-led solution, but it can be a municipally supported and backed solution. Trust the experts.

Overall we need to bring local experts to the table and listen to them and help them make decisions for our community. I’d like to see our community not take any options off the table completely. I am dedicated to make Whistler work well even in really difficult times. The next three years will be difficult and I am up for the challenge.



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