Former Township of Esquimalt staffer Holly Courtright has stepped forward as the first to announce candidacy for the vacant seat on the town council.
There is a vacant seat on the town council because former councillor Darlene Rotchford won a seat in the BC legislative assembly in last October’s provincial election.
After working for the Township for over eight years as an aquatic supervisor, Courtright moved into the world of real estate and has been working as a realtor since 2017.
Additionally, she has been self-employed as a “Leadership Coach and Consultant” since the summer of 2020, she has been President of the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce for three years, and has been an Esquimalt representative on the Victoria Esquimalt Police Board.
Now, she has thrown her hat into the ring of local politics and is hoping to win the upcoming byelection to help guide the growth of Esquimalt. Her platform focuses on three key elements which are fiscal responsibility, housing and maintaining services.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, Courtright is vehemently against the use of the Alternative Approval Process (AAP), wants to implement development cost charges, will prioritize infrastructure renewal and the diversification of revenue streams.
“The Utilization of the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) in 2021 got me fired up. I mean, really fired up,” said Courtright.
“The realization that the long-lasting impact of that decision went almost unnoticed by the public concerned me. We, as a community, have to be more engaged in the decisions and processes that work to shape our future.”
For housing in Esquimalt, she says she wants to increase affordable housing options, increase mixed-use residences, support relocation and repatriation requirements and update the OCP to reflect accordingly.
Lastly, when it comes to maintaining services, she wants to expand development services like the ones she used to offer for the Township, maintain grants for community development, collaborate with community groups and allocate space for staff.
“This is a critical time for Esquimalt. We have a growing community with a growing demand on services,” said Courtright.
“Fiscal decisions made over the next five years are critical and will impact Esquimalt for decades to come.”
The Esquimalt byelection will take place on April 5th, with early voting days on March 26th and April 2nd.
