Craig Gerrard running in Kentville
Craig Gerrard, who is reoffering for Kentville council, recently provided responses to a Q&A SaltWire is providing to municipal election candidates.
Q. What’s your full name?
A. Craig Gerrard
Q. Where are you from?
A. Born and raised in Kentville
Q. What did you do before you decided to run for office?
A. Family business, landscaping property maintenance
Q. Why have you chosen to run in this election campaign?
A. I am running so I can continue being a part of not only making sure the town looks its best but help make decisions for its future that are in the best interest for the town and its residents. In the four years that I have served on council, I have and am currently deputy mayor and the
chair of the Kentville Police Commission, I was part of the committee that rewrote Kentville’s Municipal Planning Strategy and the Land Use By-Law.
Q. What strengths would you bring to council if you are elected?
A. After four years on council, I have learned what my passions are and where I think I can be a benefit to town council. First is the Police Commission. During my four years, we have hired a new chief and deputy chief. We have created a police force which we should be proud of and are the envy of other towns in the province. The crime rate in Kentville remains low, thanks to Chief Cecchetto and her team.
Q. What do you see as the biggest strength/asset of the community/ region and what measures would you take to capitalize on them?
A. I believe one of our biggest assets is the amount of undeveloped and underdeveloped land we have in Kentville. Unlike other communities, Kentville has room to grow its population and expand our tax base. Centrally located in the Annapolis Valley, many of Kentville’s residents can easily commute to other communities for work. With the increasing cost of building houses and the fact that land in Kentville is affordable, makes living in Kentville an obvious choice.
Q. What do you feel is the key challenge facing the community/region and how would you work to address it?
A. I feel one of our largest challenges right now in small towns is maintaining and attracting new businesses to town while being able to provide a population for a work force. With the investment in our business park making it a popular choice for many new companies we must provide the people and adequate housing needed to fill those jobs.
Q. What one message do you hope gets out to the voters during this election campaign?
A. I hope the residents of Kentville educate themselves on the candidates and the what they believe in. Candidates should work hard to represent the needs of all the citizens, keeping in mind what everyone needs and what is best for the town. The job of a councillor is to listen to their residents and make decisions based on the best use of resources, and what will benefit the town as a whole.
Q. How can people contact you?
A. 902-599-1948/ cgerrard@kentville.ca