Newly elected Nelson city councillor Brittny Anderson says many people during the election campaign questioned her eligibility to run for council as a non-resident.
Anderson lives in Thrums, about 30 kilometres from the city.
“Nelson is my home. I grew up here, I went to school here, I have worked here. My parents own their home in Nelson, the one I grew up in.”
B.C. election law says anyone in the province can run in any community.
Anderson said she is hoping to move closer to Nelson but wonders if it will ever be affordable to actually live in the city.
She said some people might question her commitment to fiscal responsibility for Nelson residents, but she wants to be fiscally responsible for her family and her community.
The other three newly elected councillors who live outside city limits have similar stories.
Cal Renwick lives at Six Mile and he says that likely cost him votes in the election.
“There were people who were quite vocal about it,” he said. “‘You live outside the city and are not paying taxes [but you are] having a say about how the city is run.’”
But Renwick, who has lived and done business in Nelson for much of his life, said he is moving into town in the near future.
Jesse Woodward, who lives at Four Mile, says it wasn’t an election issue for him.
“People were more interested in having some solid people who had skill sets that were applicable to the job. There are a lot of people outside this town who come into Nelson every day, like me. I spend every working day here, my child goes to school here and we spend all our money at the stores. We looked for years trying to afford a house in Nelson and could not. I deeply care about Nelson and I only want the best for it.”
Rik Logtenberg, who lives at Six Mile, says his relationship to Nelson is similar to Woodward’s.
“We are not operating out of self-interest. I did not run so I could raise or lower my taxes.”
In fact, he says he is committed to finding creative ways to avoid tax increases for Nelson residents. He also said he and his family are hoping to move to Nelson.
Gender balance
There have been four women on each of the past four Nelson councils. This time there are only two: Anderson and Janice Morrison.
On the 1999 to 2002 council, Morrison was the only woman.
“Mayor Gary Exner used to love to introduce me as his ‘favourite female councillor’ and I would say, ‘Yes, and I am the only female councillor.’”
Morrison tells the Nelson Star that gender balance is not a high priority for her, especially in this new council where many of the members are young and progressive.
“I know it affects how we do business, though. Women think differently than men. Women tend to be more collaborative,” she says.
Anderson agrees, and says she’s also not worried.
“I feel like Nelson is a progressive community and this vote was not to get more men into office but rather people that they felt could do a good job. I am comfortable with this council that was elected.”
Logtenberg points out the ratio of men to women among the candidates — about two to one — is roughly the same as the resulting council.
One incumbent, a former mayor, and five rookies
The new council is also unusual in that it has only one incumbent (Morrison), although newly elected mayor John Dooley had previously served as both councillor and mayor.
Morrison recalls the last time there was only one incumbent: Doug Jay on the 1999-2002 council.
She says many of the new councillors have already reached out to her about processes and policies.
“The learning curve for them will be steep, but because they are young and agile I think that they will pick it up pretty quick.”
Renwick says he’s confident that he and the other newcomers can rely on Morrison as a mentor.
“I think Janice and John are good anchors,” Renwick says. “I lump myself in with Janice and John as being the older generation. The other four are young and ambitious and there is a lot of brain power there.”