Taft acclaimed in Invermere

Gerry Taft has begun his third consecutive term as mayor of the District of Invermere

Gerry Taft is mayor of the District of Invermere for his third consecutive term. — Marie Milner photo

After completing two terms as mayor of the District of Invermere, B.C., Gerry Taft had no trouble deciding to run for the office again in the November 2014 elections. He was acclaimed to the position and told Kootenay Business magazine that he’s looking forward to continuing his involvement in projects that he and the district council have begun.

What character trait do you have that makes you good at your job?

Being able to see multiple sides of an issue and different points of view. Even if I don’t totally agree with someone, I can still see where they’re coming from and why they feel the way they feel. That’s maybe something that’s natural to me, but I think I’ve developed the ability over time. Some people have an easier time coming to an issue with an open mind and willingness to balance the different needs of those involved.

What is something that you find to be a personal challenge about the job?

I know when I go to the grocery store, it’s going to take two or three times longer than I expect it to. This is a part-time job with quite a lot of fluctuation in the demands. More than anything, you have to be available—you have to be ready in case you’re needed for meetings and interviews—it’s like being on call, and I still run my business (Gerry’s Gelati) full time.

What’s a goal that you’re looking forward to achieving?

The council is working on a design for our community centre, along with representatives from the Columbia Valley. We’ll be getting into the meat and potatoes of the project in the next six months. Arriving at the final design will involve some tough decisions, sacrificing some aspects because we can only afford so much. We’d like everyone to be happy with our decisions, but that’s not likely, so that will be challenging. However, it’s exciting to be getting started on this project because it’s been talked about for some time.

The four-year term in office is something I’m looking forward to. It means we have more time to get projects accomplished before we have to focus on the next election.

How do you spend your leisure time?

My girlfriend and I like to travel when we can. We enjoy it for the relaxation and for the exposure to other history, culture and politics. If we just have a free hour or so, we take the dog out for walks or enjoy some quiet time in front of the TV—we don’t get a lot of time for that.