Michelle Staples's first term on Duncan city council was a learning experience, and, armed with the knowledge from that term, she's looking for a second mandate.
"My first term on city council helped me build a strong foundation in local governance and taught me many things I never anticipated," she said. "I learned that there are many good people in local government, that the people who work for the city are dedicated to it, love the work they do and the community they do it for."
Staples's first term saw most of council commit to a Respectful Workplace Policy that holds them accountable to each other, city staff, and the people they serve, something that she found valuable.
"I learned that ideas like this, to change the status quo, take time to build, demand trust to be effective and take courage to live by," she said.
Staples is also proud of council's efforts to keep tax increases low and to set the city on a financially responsible five-year path. And while the city has its Official Community Plan, that isn't enough, she says.
"We need to constantly adapt to meet the changing needs of our city and work to create a vision for community and economic development that looks at how everything fits together," she said.
Staples wants to work to bring curbside film plastic pickup back to Duncan, and to help bring the voices of youth and seniors to council.