Frizzell takes mayor’s chair as Prince George voters reshape city council

For Frizzell, who emerged from a field of nine mayoral candidates, the makeup of the new council represents both an opportunity and an immediate priority.

“We’ve got a different team, substantially different team. And it looks like a goldmine of opportunity there,” Frizzell said. “There’s some tremendous skills and experience they’ve brought in. So finding out where they’re going to fit and what they want to do and how we’re going to work best as a team. That’s number one.”

The close mayoral contest also delivered a message to Frizzell.

He said the presence of nine candidates seeking the mayor’s chair suggested Prince George voters were looking for a different direction, while the tight result means he will have to work to represent residents regardless of whom they supported.

“By having three very close, that means that I’m going to have to work extra hard to make sure that the people who didn’t vote for me also get support, because a mayor has to represent everybody,” Frizzell said.

“Thank you to all those who did vote for me. For those who didn’t, I’m still going to be working hard on your behalf too.”

The dramatic turnover around the council table was one of the defining outcomes of the election.

Nicole Fraser led the newcomers, finishing second in the council race behind incumbent Brian Skakun. Fraser received 10,505 votes, or 55.1 per cent.

She will be joined by Dan Pears, who received 8,386 votes, or 44 per cent; Dan McLaren, with 7,218 votes, or 37.9 per cent; James Steidle, with 6,663 votes, or 35 per cent; and Bob Radloff, with 6,661 votes, also roughly 35 per cent.

For former councillor Susan Scott, who withdrew from the race earlier in the campaign, that turnover creates an opportunity for a reset.

“I think it’s an exciting opportunity for our city to bring in new ideas and new thought from different parts of our city,” Scott said. “I think it’s going to be really dynamic.”

But beyond the new faces, another theme emerged on election night: a desire for greater cohesion and cooperation around the council table.

Scott acknowledged the relationships around the previous council table could sometimes become difficult.

“It did become awkward at times, and not always. Not always and not every meeting,” she said. “But here’s an opportunity, as I said, to do better.”

That desire was echoed by Ramsay, one of the three incumbent councillors who will return.

Ramsay said she views the election result as the choice of Prince George voters and is looking forward to getting to know the new members.

“I think it’s a good thing because it’s a democratic process, and the electorate has shown who they want to represent them,” Ramsay said. “So I’m really looking forward to working with the new council.”

Above all, Ramsay said she wants the newly elected group to find a way to work together.

“You know, I just want to see a council that’s cohesive, that can really work together,” she said. “And I’m looking forward to meeting and engaging and learning about my new colleagues.”

The new council will not have much time to settle in.

Frizzell pointed to economic change as well as social and public-safety issues among the challenges facing the city. He also sees considerable economic pressure and opportunity ahead, with activity in the resource sector and construction of the acute care tower.

“What we’ve got coming towards us in terms of a transitioning economy, changes in social and safety, we’ve got a lot to do there,” he said.

Frizzell said the campaign also made it clear voters want action from city hall, but he said council will have to determine how to deliver it without imposing unnecessary costs.

“During the election, the campaign showed us that people of Prince George want some things done, and we got to figure out the path that’s going to get that done and not cost us,” he said. “So that’s a lot to ask, but we got to get started right away.”

That work will begin with a council that looks markedly different from the one Prince George voters elected four years ago.

The five newcomers will constitute a majority of the eight-member council, while a new mayor takes the centre seat.

For Frizzell, that makes building relationships inside council chambers one of the first tasks of the new term. His early focus on finding where each councillor’s skills and experience can best be used dovetails with the calls from both Scott and Ramsay for a more cohesive working environment.

The challenge will be turning that election-night sentiment into cooperation as the new council begins tackling the issues voters raised during the campaign.

The new mayor and council are scheduled to be formally sworn in Nov. 2.

Their first official council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16.

by Cheryl Jahn

Frizzell takes mayor’s chair as Prince George voters reshape city council

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