Wilf Carter is all about solutions.

Next Thursday, he’s hoping Whitehorse residents will elect him to bring his problem-solving skills to city hall as the capital’s new mayor.

The 64-year-old long-time Whitehorse resident announced his candidacy in September.

Since then, he said in a recent interview, his whole campaign has been around taking action.

Many electors he’s spoken to have recognized his name from the letters and comments he’s written that have been published in the editorial sections of local media.

Never one to shy away from stating his views and bringing forward ideas for solutions, Carter said his career in management gives him the experience needed for the mayor’s role.

That prompted him to seek the only full-time job on council rather than a position as councillor.

While he has been dealing with health issues in recent years, Carter said, he is now in a position where he can run for mayor, which he confirmed with his doctors before submitting his nomination papers.

“I bring experience to the table,” Carter said, adding he can help bring council together as well as assist the city in working with other levels of government.

Carter retired in 2011 from his most recent role as a senior business advisor for the Yukon government.

His career also saw him serve as the chief administrative officer in Teslin for four years and work in management at Northwestel Inc.

He and his family – including his wife and two sons – have been living in the territory on and off since the 1980s.

The couple most recently moved back to Whitehorse more than a decade ago in 2004 after having lived on the East Coast for six years.

Since launching his campaign last month and speaking with residents, Carter said the issues – which range from city services to the operation of facilities – all seem to come back to whether Whitehorse is an affordable city. Most taxpayers don’t think it is affordable for them, he said.

Carter looked at property tax rates in the city. He discovered that the tax rates – with Whitehorse property owners seeing a 1.7 per cent increase this year – are around the middle range for communities of a comparable size.

Taxes may be reasonable, given the services being provided and the higher costs that come due to its northern location.

However, the city has to change how it’s communicating with its residents so they’re better informed about what they’re getting for their tax dollar, Carter said.

He also believes the city should be considering a number of other budget changes, including having a contingency plan in place to deal with growth.

Carter pointed to the city’s proposed $56-million budget consolidation plan. It will see the city move to two main buildings, one being an operational building off of Range Road and the other being a service building downtown next to city hall.

While the buildings are needed, Carter said, there are other ways to pursue them than by simply drawing down city reserves.

The Yukon government also needs the same type of buildings for equipment storage and such.

That has Carter questioning why the two governments don’t combine their efforts to create one facility that would save money for each administration.

“There’s lots of room for integration,” he said, noting that as mayor, he would look at how tax dollars can be used more effectively.

Affordable housing is another issue that has continued to come up throughout the campaign.

Many people have told Carter they don’t want to see the city become directly involved in housing, as they don’t want to risk higher taxes that might come with the city taking on more responsibilities.

Rather, he said, residents want to see the city involved in a supportive role, advocating for more affordable housing.

“There’s roles we can play,” Carter said, suggesting advocating for a territorial program that would help residents build up a down payment for homes.

He went on to suggest that when the city’s Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue is vacant due to the building consolidation plan, that property could be used for a housing project.

The territorial and federal governments could build the units that could then either be rented or sold at more affordable prices.

“You could do it like a co-op,” he said. He suggested there are a number of models out there to expand affordable housing that could be explored, such as the possibility of smaller housing units.

Carter sees the role of mayor as “being an ambassador for the city,” promoting Whitehorse not only to visitors but back to its own people.

He has also spoken in favour of more infill development, exploring energy production and assessing the transit system as part of his campaign.

See other two candidates’profiles.