Sam Van Schie
Nelson Star
After 12 years living and volunteering in Rossland, Aaron Cosbey believes he’s ready for a seat on Rossland City Council.
The 54-year-old father of two teenagers has been a member of Rossland’s sustainability commission, the broadband task force and the Light Opera Players. He’s also very involved in recreation, as a volleyball coach as Rossland Secondary School, a current member of the skatepark society and past-president of the pool.
He’s made a lot of presentations to city council over the years, which has helped him gain a general understanding of how council works.
“I’ve been part of a lot of local organizations in the city, and I don’t think being on council will be that different,” he says. “It’s just another way I can help make Rossland a better place to live.”
Cosbey is a self-employed economics consultant who works remotely from his home, advising on investment and sustainability issues. His clients range from non-profit think tanks to UN agencies and governments.
He spends most of his working day in front of a computer, communicating with his clients online. So it’s no surprise that one of the many things he’d like to accomplish as councillor is bringing affordable, broadband Internet service to Rossland.
Also on his list of priorities: rescinding the controversial Delegation Bylaw, which he says gives way too much power to the city’s chief administrator.
“We saw some of the terrible results of that [bylaw] in the arena scandal,” he says. “We need to get it off the books right away.”
Cosbey would also work on fixing broken relationships among other municipalities in the Greater Trail area in hopes of establishing more shared services and particularly shared recreation facilities.
Ultimately, his goal is to bring a some sense of accomplishment back to the council table.
“This current council spent their whole three years fighting scandals and fighting each other and fighting other communities,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to a council that can be more productive than that, and have more fun and do more good.”
Learn more about Cosbey’s campaign at facebook.com/aaronforcouncil.