Hodge looks to recapture seat

Former Kelowna City Councillor, Charlie Hodge, is entering the race in an attempt to recapture his seat.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Former councillor, Charlie Hodge, is entering the race to regain his seat.

Hodge was elected to council in 2008 but was ousted as part of the FourChange wave that saw five councillors and Mayor Sharon Shepherd swept out of office.

The previous council was chastised throughout the campaign for being indecisive and bringing up too many pet projects.

Hodge says he won't change if he is elected again.

"I never will be prepared to make a decision on issues I don't have enough information on. My concern...I felt staff or others were not providing us with the information we needed to make the right decision and I was not going to be pushed by them or anybody else to make a bad decision," says Hodge.

"If certain members of the media didn't like that or certain members of council didn't like that, too bad. My job is to make the best decision possible and if that means asking tough questions and not making a decision until I get those answers, that's how I will continue to operate."

Hodge says he decided to enter the race largely due to the fact Sharon Shepherd has decided to run again for mayor.

"I make no bones about the fact that was part of the motivation for me throwing my name in. I spent three years with Sharon as mayor. I thought she was an excellent mayor. She is tough and I am very glad to see she's running."

Hodge says there are many tough decisions that have to be made over the coming four years and believes his previous experience will be an asset.

“Kelowna faces huge decisions in the near future including the redesign of City Park, the Capri expansion, Central Greens, land-use and transit plans, projects in Rutland, and other issues. It is important that Council truly listens to the public’s thoughts and concerns and then direct staff to build projects accordingly.”

He adds council is supposed to set the basic course and destination in which they want Kelowna to head - and senior staff is supposed to then advise the best and smartest routes to do so.

Hodge believes that is not currently happening.

“I do not believe Council is running the ship and have not for a long while,” Hodge says, using the recent charette and outcomes at Cedar Park as an example.

Voters go to the polls to elect a new city council Saturday, Nov 15.