Although Nelson city councillor Kim Charlesworth won’t run next month for mayor or council, it’s not for lack of desire.
“I would absolutely love to run for mayor,” she says. “I would love to go head to head with [John Dooley]. It’s been a very tough decision. But there comes a time you really have to put personal priorities first.”
Charlesworth says although she has enjoyed her time on council and would like to stay involved, she and her family will be travelling in Europe in the next few months and are also planning another extended trip in about a year.
While she expects to return to the area, it will most likely be to a rural place.
She says serving on council is “an amazing way to be in touch with the community and help move things forward. But it’s a very personal choice for me. I just have other things in my life and feel I can’t be on council and do them at the same time.”
Charlesworth is satisfied with what she and the rest of council have accomplished over the last three years, but is frustrated some of the planning processes they set in motion weren’t completed a little faster.
She says she would love to be at the table to help implement those plans.
“The economic challenges Nelson faces are similar to the challenges in every other town in Canada and North America. They’re only going to get tougher because of the global situation politically, economically, and environmentally. Things are not going to get easier.”
Charlesworth says the next council needs to focus on how to make Nelson resilent — and that isn’t necessarily by focusing on the same things the city has done for the last 15 years.
“There needs to be new ideas and tough choices made,” she says.
As for Dooley, Charlesworth says he has many strengths, but “green is not his colour.”
“It’s not where his priorities lay. And neither is the cultural sector. He is very much driven by a very traditional view of jobs, economy, dollars, and sense,” she says.
“I do not think that will serve us well in the coming years. I think we need to be a lot more creative at how we look at making our community thrive. Jobs and economy are absolutely critical, but not necessarily traditional jobs and economy.”
Charlesworth, who is widely regarded as having the strongest environmental background on council, hopes others will fill that void. She signed nomination papers for Candace Batycki, a prominent environmental activist who is running for council.