Radium Hot Springs Mayor Mike Gray is seeking a second term, pointing to experience, housing and community planning as priorities ahead of the Oct. 17 municipal election.
Gray, who was first elected to council in a 2017 by-election and became mayor in 2022, is running against Cris Leonard for the mayor’s seat.
Gray said his time on council and his first term as mayor have given him a deeper understanding of the village, its funding options and the priorities of residents.
“In that time, I’ve just gained a tremendous amount of experience in how the village operates, what sources of funding we have, and what projects are priorities for our community residents, and I really want to keep that going.”
Gray said he feels he is now hitting his stride as mayor after four years in the position.
“I didn’t realize how much there was to learn after even after having 6 years on council beforehand. I really feel like after this first term, I’m just hitting that full stride now and I’d like to keep going.”
Among Gray’s priorities is continuing work stemming from the village’s new official community plan, which council adopted in February following an extensive public engagement process.
The plan identifies priorities including additional housing options, an interconnected pathway system and improvements to the village centre.
Gray said housing, connectivity and improvements to Radium’s main street remain priorities for him.
“I’m very familiar with that engagement. I’m very familiar with that direction that we’ve been given and housing remains a priority. Our interconnectivity remains a priority. The state of our main street and doing improvements to the visuals there.”
Gray also pointed to municipal finances and residential property taxes as a focus.
“I understand the funding that we have available to keep our residential property taxes among, the lowest in all of British Columbia.”
Gray said his experience and record of engaging with residents are central to his bid for another four-year term.
“Experience matters. I am very proud of my track record, of how I’ve engaged and listened to residents and the value the trust that the community has put in me for the past10 years, I would like to keep that going.”
“I think that there’s a lot for me to continue to give back to Radium Hot Springs, and I’m hoping that everyone that is eligible to vote gets out and votes.”
General voting in Radium Hot Springs will take place Oct. 17 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Village Office Council Chambers. Advance voting is scheduled for Oct. 7.
