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Tim Doyle to enter mayoral campaign Simon Whitehouse Northern News Services Published Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Doyle sent out a news release late last week saying he will be running for the position in this October's municipal election, as Gord Van Tighem steps down after 12 years. "I think with the mayor stepping down now, there is a bit of a void being created and now is the perfect time for change," said Doyle, who has been the executive director of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce since January 2011. "We need to take a good look at the future of the city and recognize that we have some hard decisions to make in order to grow and build our city." The 37-year-old candidate, who has lived in Yellowknife since 2005, said he has complaints and that he is committed to leading a more business-friendly city to address many of those issues. One of his bigger beefs has to do with spending. After eight straight years of property tax increases, the cost of living for many residents is unacceptably high, he says, adding that it affects growth and Yellowknife's reputation as a world-class place to live. "The cost of living is viewed as skyrocketing and people would like to see some change there," Doyle said. He said he wants to make sure people at the end of the month can more easily pay their electricity bills and other basic costs. As a certified financial planner and financial management adviser, he follows the markets daily, and said the city could be facing a recession in the coming years. In this context, Doyle sees himself as someone who would be able to make hard decisions. "It isn't looking extremely good and it looks like we may be catching up with the Mother Nature of the economic world," he said of a possible recession. "When that pied piper comes knocking, we need to make sure we are controlling our spending and have policies that gets us out quicker than some of our (urban) neighbours right now." Productivity in Yellowknife's downtown has lagged, he says, and he would like to turn that around. He also emphasized "justice" for the city. He said he has made himself very familiar with the homelessness and addictions situation during his seven years in the city. Part of the solution would be to recognize that the RCMP should not be treated as "babysitters" for people with addictions issues. He argues that Yellowknife needs a loitering bylaw, which he would like to see enforced by the city's municipal enforcement division (MED). "Right now if your dog is barking too loud, or if you are speeding along Mildred Hall, you can get them to write tickets, but I see MED having a bigger role and I see it as a wise investment," he said. "Somebody can basically be passed out and we have business owners calling here saying that they have to step over two people to try to get into their store. Business owners shouldn't have to deal with this." He said he wants to crack down on crime in general that affects businesses, including theft and vandalism which result in empty store fronts and fewer people coming downtown. "Downtown retail merchants have been left to deal with most of this and we have failed them and we better come up with a different solution than what we have to this point," he says. Doyle said he is supportive of the city's role in instituting a local improvement fee to address Northland trailer Park's water and sewer problems and likes many aspects of the city's 2011 General Plan. Continuing to develop three to four bedroom housing in town is important over the next few years to provide homes for military people and the opening of a new mine. Doyle is married to his wife of 10 years, Roselle, and has two young sons, James and David. No other candidates have declared their intentions to run for mayor yet, although two-term city councillor Paul Falvo has expressed an interest.
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