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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An influx of candidates from the city's business community poised to seek election in this fall's municipal election is raising hopes in the business world for a long-awaited, business-thinking voice at the council table.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem, left, with Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce executive director Tim Doyle earlier this year, before Doyle announced he will be running for mayor this fall. - NNSL file photo

In addition to Tim Doyle, executive director of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, and former Yellowknife Motors owner Tony Vane, who have announced their candidacies for mayor, Phil Moon Son, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association, has confirmed to Yellowknifer that he too will be seeking election in the municipal election this fall.

There are also "very strong rumours" that at least two more candidates from the business community will be stepping up to seek a council seat this year, said Larry Jacquard, president of the chamber.

"You can definitely say that this year there's going to be much larger representation from the business community for council and for mayor," Jacquard said, noting he has heard of increasing frustration from some in the business and construction communities over issues including increasing taxes and an aggressive movement toward green initiatives dwarfing other issues in the city. "We kind of went away from the base where the city has to also control costs and run efficiently and ensure that the services are run properly," Jacquard said.

"The feedback we've been getting from the business community in the past few years is they have not been getting the results - not just from council but from the city itself - so I think now certain business people in the community have said 'enough is enough,' and they are presenting themselves with the attitude that they are going to influence and change things."

Moon Son, who before taking the helm of the construction association served as town manager in Sachs Harbour, directed negotiations with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and also headed research and development for its financial arm Det'on Cho Corp. He is not fashioning himself a champion of the business community per se, but said he will take a more balanced approach than what has been seen from council, with focus on economic development, concerns over essential services such as the roads, water and sewer, and various social issues affecting the downtown core.

"I definitely am sensitive to the business needs of the community and economic development - especially because of the current stagnation right now - but I think the bigger issue is I will provide a balanced approach when it comes to various issues," he said.

Past chamber president Steven Meister said the current economic situation, coupled with a shift in priorities over the years, might make the electorate more receptive to business-minded, fiscally-restrained candidates now, compared to when he ran for council in 2006. Meister has no plans to seek election this fall.

"I think the electorate always elect the view that they're looking for and I think at the time there was a lot of social infrastructure needs and requirements and so the council reflected that," Meister said. "What I'm hearing over the last few years is we've seen a lot of development done by the city and a lot of response to the needs at the time with housing, some infrastructure projects, et cetera, and now you're starting to hear more of the needs of the business community with fiscal restraint, et cetera - which is consistent with more of the global economy at the present.

"I think the business community has been looking for a little bit more support at the council level for the past several elections."

Despite the mayor's banking and chamber background, since Douglas Witty and Alan Woytiuk left council, former councillor Dave McCann was the last person on council who brought business issues to the forefront, according to Witty, who served on council from 2003 to 2006.

"There's no question in my mind that council would benefit from being rebalanced in a way that there is more fiscal responsibility," Witty said. "My hope is that people will pay attention to some of the things that have happened in the past two terms - not the least of which is the never-ending tax hikes.

"There's certainly lots of things that point to the fact that council needs to be fiscally rebalanced in order to meet the needs of the community ... but the electorate will decide."

Witty also does not have plans to seek election this fall, when Van Tighem has already announced he will not be seeking re-election.

Candidates can file nomination papers this month for the election to city council, which is made up of eight councillors and the mayor, to positions held for a three-year term.

The election is scheduled for Oct. 15.

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