North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce President, Derek Shogren, announced at last night’s regular North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce meeting that he is stepping down as President to pursue a seat on North Bay council.
“I announced to the Chamber executive earlier this week and last night I informed the general membership I will be running for North Bay City Council,” said Shogren. “This morning I was at North Bay City Hall and filed the necessary paper work.”
Shogren is General Manager of the Canadian Tire Store in North Bay and has many years of business leadership experience in the retail sector.
Shogren has also been an active community volunteer and strong voice on the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce.
“I think it is important to be involved in our community, to give back and try to make a difference where we can. I have been approached over and over to consider running for council and with the blessing of my family, friends, neighbours and co-workers I have decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Shogren said.
“I’m not one to dwell on the past. I intend to work on ensuring the future is better. The things that are important to me are the same issues that concern my friends and neighbours.”
Some additional points in Shogren's platform.
- Greater accountability for the spending of tax dollars
- Better customer service at City Hall and more respect for the taxpayer
- Protection of existing green space
- A realistic and proactive budgeting process
- Greater community consultation and less reliance only on city staff
- Greater cooperation with area municipalities and other levels of government
- Review of project tendering practices
- Decisions made with all the necessary input
“I really believe by working together we can do better as a community. The time commitment required to be a member of council is significant and I am prepared to give 100% effort to every part of the job. As a father and family man, as a businessman, as a taxpayer, I feel I have an obligation to do what I can to see our children and grandchildren inherit North Bay in better condition than how we found it.”
