Long time Nelson resident Leslie Payne says her run for city council is about solutions and inclusion for all residents and that is what constituents will get from her if she is elected.
“I want to feel that people are looking for solutions,” says Payne. “I know people want to step up, they want to be part of the solution, they want to get involved.”
Payne has a background in sales and marketing which she feels has helped her prepare for the role of councilor, and to help the city be more fiscally responsible.
“We can’t have an election without addressing the issue of affordability,” she says. “I don’t know if the next generation will be able to afford living in the town they grew up in.”
Payne says she is passionate about the environment and her main focus is on ensuring Nelson residents have the resources they need in the event a climate emergency strikes the town.
“It is very important we address the basic issues,” she says. “Now more than ever we are seeing a change in the environment and we need to make sure Nelson is maintained and look at the possibilities of where to get alternative resources, if needed.”
Payne moved from White Rock to Nelson in 2012, where she works in the community as a member of the Kootenay Carshare Program. Payne also worked for Nelson Cares, and as manager at the Kootenay Co-op Cafe
She previously ran for council in 2018.
She is running against incumbents Jesse Woodward, Keith Page, and Rik Logtenberg as well as Ainsleah Hastings, Jesse Pineiro, Glenn Sutherland, Kate Tait, Kyle Wilkinson, and Brenton Raby.
