Sitting down with Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit
Andrew Jakubeit is the mayor of Penticton. He was elected to the position in November 2014 after two terms as a councillor. He recently completed the following question-and-answer session with Herald editor Joe Fries via email.
HERALD: Council has just wrapped up its 2018 budget with a tentative 3.4 per cent tax increase. What are residents getting for that extra money?
JAKUBEIT: An increase in RCMP and bylaw officers to address safety, investing just under $19 million to deal with infrastructure and completion of Official Community Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan to help with growth and development.
HERALD: In your comments during question period at the end of budget deliberations, you mentioned there has been a “tremendous push” for the city to fund social programs. What did you mean by that? And aren’t social programs the responsibility of senior levels of government?
JAKUBEIT: People see homelessness, addiction and mental health concerns in our community. Since we (the city) are the most accessible level of government, residents often expect City Hall should fix it. Unfortunately that is not always possible, and waiting for upper levels of government has seen the problems get worse. We are working to partner and facilitate interested parties (including senior levels of government) to address these social problems so those who want the help can get it. Helping others regain some dignity, become contributing members of the community and reduce the strain on protective services are good things.
HERALD: You and staff have suggested that recent tax increases are partly due to the city falling behind with several years of no increases or decreases when Dan Ashton was mayor. You were also on council then. It would have no doubt been an unpopular move, but why not insist on modest increases at the time?
JAKUBEIT: Initially, the city had just come through a severe downturn in the economy, so council was sensitive about the financial climate of the community. I did vote and speak against some of those subsequent budgets while on council.
HERALD: As we reported last week, you will be seeking re-election as mayor next fall. What would be the focus of your second mandate?
JAKUBEIT: My intention would be to run again; however until I confirm next May nothing is for certain. I would think that part of the mandate would be following what our new Officinal Community Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan entail, ensuring we are more sustainable and leveraging the current record development momentum.
HERALD: A poll commissioned by The Herald a year ago pegged you at a 19 per cent approval rating. What have you done since then to make yourself more re-electable?
JAKUBEIT: The poll was conducted at the height of the Skaha Park controversy and since then council has terminated the proposal. We embraced and invested heavily into engagement which is helping us update our Official Community Plan and parks plan so we have a better foundation for what we want/need as a community. The engagement is beginning to be incorporated into our process on a regular basis so council gets a summary of the good, bad and ugly of what the community is thinking.
HERALD: When will the campaign really get interesting?
JAKUBEIT: Probably in June when some of the initial announcements happen, but really early September is when things heat up as nominations close.
HERALD: You take a lot of flak as mayor (including from The Herald), but to your credit you don’t shy away from it. How do you keep a smile on your face?
JAKUBEIT: Even though the mayor is only one vote, you tend to be the lightning rod and bear the brunt of criticism. No matter what decision you make, someone is not going to be happy. You need to have confidence in yourself and that what you believe in is the right thing. When I meet people visiting or new to Penticton that are amazed at what we have in our community, or we help a citizen, or just get simple thank you — that keeps me smiling.
HERALD: In addition to your political duties, you also serve as a director on the board of BC Hockey and run a video production company. How do you find time to do it all?
JAKUBEIT: I have a supportive wife, work weird hours and don’t watch much TV.
HERALD: What was the last movie you saw in a theatre and was it any good?
JAKUBEIT: The Darlings. Two local filmmakers created this full-length feature while finishing high school. Yes, I was impressed. I plan on watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi this month!