Open Letter to Okotoks

Written by Jesse Krsa - Krsa for Council (Okotoks Town Council Candidate)

A little bit about me:

After graduating from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in business, my wife and I decided that it was time for us to make a new start together in Okotoks. We have been here 12 years now and have been able to witness the rapid growth in this beautiful town that we can call home, as well within our family. Having 5 kids in 7 years wasn't easy but it has brought us closer together and made us into an even stronger team.

Education:

My education is in business with a diploma from Mount Royal University (MRC) in Marketing. From there I continued my education at the University of Lethbridge to complete my Degree attaining a Bachelors of Management. I am a strong believer in lifelong learning and as such have continued to pursue additional training throughout my working history in order to strengthen any weaknesses but with a focus on fortifying my strengths.

Work Experience:

During my Education period I worked in the telecom industry for Telus Mobility, first on the front lines in a client facing role doing sales, then moving into a Marketing Specialist role on the corporate side of the business. Once graduated, I took a position with the Government of Alberta in the Infrastructure Property/Project Management sector where I was exposed to the projects and tendering process that is used by government. During my time I was able to observe a shift away from a low bid process to a quality matrix driven selection process. Once my term expired, I moved into the private sector and worked my way through a couple different industries including: Construction, Manufacturing, and Distribution. Through the financial crisis of 2008, I decided to take start my own company focusing on my strengths. With considerable background in construction and marketing, I have for the last 10 years been an entrepreneur doing my best to grow businesses. This has taken me into industries like construction and renovations, restaurant marketing, and even working in the tech sector with a startup.

Family:

I am a family man and always have and will continue to do everything I can to provide a safe and nurturing environment for my family. Having 5 children in the span of 7 years offers perspective on the important things in life. My desire is to participate in the growth and development of Okotoks so that my children, and all families on Okotoks, have a safe and truly amazing town to call home.

Community:

I have in the past, and now currently coach football at the Foothills Composite High School. I have also done what I could when I was able helping with my own children's sports. I think that our community could benefit with the participation of everyone in the community to make it more vibrant. If everyone gave a couple hours a week to help, just imagine how much more amazing our town could be. Also during this election period, I have put my name forward to sit on a number of town Board/Committees. My commitment to this community does not just depend on a seat on Council and I will be a vocal participant in moving forward community initiatives.

Where I stand:

Having been a local resident in Okotoks for over a decade, I have been able to witness the major decisions that the town council has made. Some of these I agree with, others I feel that there is room for improvement. By running for council, I feel that this is one of the best ways to give back to my community on an individual level as well as help others become more involved and better informed.

Platform

My platform is simple. I intend to be a voice of reason on council and represent the people of Okotoks with honesty, integrity and openness. I would push to make town/council information easier to access, and understand. My goal is to increase engagement between the community at large and Council as Okotokians are the ultimate decision makers of how this town should progress forward. We live in an amazing, vibrant and progressive town, but feel with the right people on council and more participation from the community we can make it much better.

Philosophically I am utilitarian, I will always look for ways of providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people while always considering the costs associated and if there are any detrimental impact to any other stakeholder.

I have said I had an idea about augmenting the costs associated with new facility requirements. If developers want to play in our back yard, which might also be their own backyard, they need to help make it better for the entire community. I would propose that with the new development of residential, commercial and light industrial areas, that the developers need to give back more than they currently do. Now it might be a pipe dream, but I think we as a town can request developers that are making money from their developments to help us with what we want and need in order for them to have access to our resource, land, that they desire to make profits from. We need a new facilities to accommodate Arts and Culture. From a recreation standpoint, we need more rinks for hockey, more space for swimming lessons more and better space for teens to stay out of trouble. I love that we currently offer all of these things, but I think we have hit critical mass on many of these spaces and can do better on so many fronts. Sponsorships and naming rights for the developer offer a trade off for the costs to build. The last part is that we need to find ways to make access and affordability a priority. Kids that are kept actively stay out of trouble. And this will address the rise petty crime issues we have seen over the last couple years.

With costs in mind, I would like to see a quarterly or semiannual survey given to the entire town. We have around 30,000 people in Okotoks and each and every one of these people are entitled to have a voice on the direction to move Okotoks forward. The more we can engage people the more we can make sure the direction is correct.

Taxation is always a major issue in any election, and my promise is to dig into and find ways to be more effective and efficient with how our dollars are being spent. My first motion if elected to council would be to place a moratorium on tax increases and determine if the current levels of funding are appropriate in all sectors based on what the people of Okotoks want. I would hope and expect that every individual elected to council would support such a motion.

In conclusion, if elected to council, I will actively push to transform our community by inspiring people to participate in our towns growth, development and productivity. My promise is to listen and be accountable to the people on the issues that are most important. I will make mistakes, but I will also always own up to them and do my best to remedy the issue and make sure the same mistake isn't made in the future. I hope that through this journey I will be able to help bring transparency and accountability in our growing town utilizing unconventional out of the box thinking with an eye on the costs at all times. Opening up town council meetings, so that no matter what you have going on you will still be able to get the information you need when you need it. When you are aware of what's going on in Okotoks, you gain a stronger voice that can and will create change.

I hope to be able to bring my foundation of education, experience, entrepreneurship, family and community to Okotoks Town Council. So, I would like to thank everyone for their support on this journey. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.

Jesse Krsa

jessekrsa.com

krsaforcouncil@gmail.com

403.536.4033