Age:
45
Website:
wgescott@hotmail.com
Occupation:
Presently
tending bar at Quattro and driving limos for VIP Whistler. Have been in F&B
management for many years.
Last Book Read:
Green
Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss.
I am presently reading
A New Earth
by Eckhart Tolle
What music are you listening to these days?
Right now I’m listening to Jazz, Rock, and
Roots/Reggae.
Favourite recreational pursuits:
I’m an avid skier, love hiking, and am hooked on golf
1. Why are you running for council?
I am running for council because I think the community needs an
authentic voice at the table. I think a councillor’s job is to engage in open
dialogue, and represent the concerns of their fellow citizens. I love this
town, and Sea to Sky Country, and I remember when it was fun to live here. Our
spirit, our faith in our community, is what visitors felt and made them want to
return. I’d like to help restore that light.
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?
Like any family in a time of economic crisis, we change our
spending habits.
Stop the practice of hiring consultants, and paying for their
studies, for one.
Stop the practice of budgeting for projects with monies that we
haven’t even received yet.
Reforecast and change our five-year financial plan.
Make it easier to do business in this town by rethinking petty
bylaws.
3. What other important issues does Whistler faces in the
next three years?
The most glaring issue at this point is affordable rental
housing. We have to support initiatives like the Phoenix Project, and maybe
leverage our corporate relations. Nike Town? Chevy Ville? You get the idea. We
have to look at the RMOW to donate or lease lands to a private developer and
provide incentives to expedite a permanent rental housing project.
Management of the project should go out
for private tender.
Childcare is a huge issue that is tough to approach on a
municipal level. We should leverage our relationship with the federal
government to change the immigration laws that make it hard for accredited
caregivers from out of province to work here.
I would like to see a learning centre in Whistler as an example
of diverse economies.
I would like to see our athletes use Whistler as a training
centre, putting our Olympic venues to further use. They should have access to
higher learning as well.
4. What needs to be done to address those issues?
We need proactive leadership, accountable representation, and community engagement.
