After serving three years as councillor and almost a decade as mayor, Dean McKerracher is running once again in this year’s municipal election for the District of Elkford.
“I’ve lived here for 43 years … my blood is here,” said McKerracher. “I’ve helped build the community from the ground up,” he added, “I helped build the ball diamonds and the ski hill and the golf course … I love the community and I’m honoured to work for the citizens that are here.”
McKerracher is also looking to add Chair of the Hospital Board to his resumé if he is to get re-elected as mayor of Elkford.
Having secured relationships with the doctors currently working in Elkford through his work with Interior Health, McKerracher wants to ensure that when the doctors contracts expire in two years, their contracts are either renewed or new doctors are signed to come in.
“It’s a natural step for me to move into the chair’s position if I were to get re-elected,” said McKerracher. “By being the chair of the hospital board it will certainly help us in the valley for securing our health care.”
McKerracher also said that he feels that there is still work to do in Elkford, including proper succession planning to fill his senior management with reliable staff in case his re-election plans are not successful. Following the success of redoing the arena and curling rink to be more energy efficient, McKerracher plans to retrofit the swimming pool, potentially saving the district $60,000 in energy and heat if the energy retrofit goes through.
Ultimately, McKerracher thinks it’s about making connections that make him best for the job.
“I have a great connection with our MP David Wilks as well as our MLA Bill Bennett who I have a great working relationship with,” said McKerracher. “I think that’s something that’s certainly needed in politics, when you have a good connection with your upper-levels of government, that’s a huge thing that you need when you want to run this community.”