A former city councillor is jumping back into municipal politics, as Ron Miles has announced his candidacy for the upcoming byelection set for May 11.
Miles says he isn’t necessarily driven by one particular issue, but wishes to contribute his diverse experience to council chambers as a way of giving back to the community.
“From being on boards, wading through financial statements, dealing with conflicts in law and identifying issues…all this type of stuff is what the job entails,” Miles said.
Miles, a local lawyer who previously served two terms at city hall between 1996-2002, has been a Cranbrook resident for over 30 years, building up a law practice and raising his family.
READ: Cranbrook city council byelection set for May 11
Along with that experience, Miles has also sat on numerous non-profit boards such as the Kinsmen Club and Rotary Club and has been heavily involved with the Columbia Basin Trust as a past director for nearly a decade.
Miles obtained degrees in both commerce and law at the University of British Columbia and worked briefly in Vancouver before moving to Cranbrook in 1987 with his wife, Frances, and youngest daughter, Molly.
He joined a local law firm, but eventually co-founded his own practice in 1996, which is currently Miles, Zimmer and Associates, while the Miles family continued to grow with six more children over the years.
With a passion for lacrosse dating back to his teenage years, Miles is a founding member of the Cranbrook Minor Lacrosse Association and has coached his children in the same sport, as well as in the hockey arena and the soccer sidelines.
He says he likes the direction of the current municipal administration and wishes to be an advocate for fiscal responsibility.
“It’s real easy to spend other people’s money,” Miles said. “And at the council table, it’s easy to lose sight of that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
The municipal byelection is set for May 11, with advance voting scheduled for May 1st and May 8th at the Parkview Pavilion Senior Centre at 125 17th Ave. South.
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