Peggy Alexander seeks to bring financial leadership experience as Taylor’s mayor

TAYLOR, B.C. — Peggy Alexander hopes to bring her financial experience and commitment to the needs of seniors to the District of Taylor mayor’s chair. 

Though running for mayor has been a matter of serious consideration for a long time, Alexander says she realized the time was right in this election—and on the second-last day of the nomination period, she “pulled the trigger.”

“I feel like I’m ready,” she said. “And the opportunity was there.”

As the utility construction company she owns with her husband continues to grow and diversify, she decided to take the chance to use her experience in a new role. Alexander believes her 30 years of experience in a “financial leadership role” will be an asset to her as mayor. 

“Leadership as a whole and the commitment of business ownership— those are important qualities that I know will be an asset,” she said.

In the context of consistently interesting economic times—both within Taylor itself and the wider world— Alexander says her experience will be especially valuable. 

While several of the major moves of the current council have caught her attention and care (including the upcoming Jarvis Subdivision and the district’s investment into it), one of her largest concerns isn’t necessarily economic. It is the loss of the medical clinic and the effect this will have on residents—especially seniors—that worries her. 

“The needs of seniors…have always been very important to me,” the candidate said. For the 20 years she lived in the community, she said, she has watched the population age and heard friends lament losing the community’s elderly, who moved to Fort St. John for better access to healthcare.”

“I’d like to fight strongly to retain that [clinic],” she said.

Though Alexander knows her opponent for the mayor’s role has experience in local government that she lacks, she doesn’t consider that a major issue. 

“I’ve been studying and researching the political movements, if you will. It hasn’t taken me very long to feel abreast,” Alexander explained. 

“I don’t feel a disadvantage for me, as I will give it 150 per cent if elected by the people,” she continued.

Alexander will run in the two-way race for mayor in the District of Taylor, a town of 1,300 south of Fort St. John. Voters will be able to select their choice for mayor, as well as for four councillors, on October 15th or on one of two advance voting days in the weeks preceding the election. 

Taylor’s previous mayor, Rob Fraser, announced he would not run for the district again and is currently in a race for mayor of Fort Nelson, several hundred kilometres north of his current jurisdiction.