Dan Boyd is hoping to continue his work as a city councillor, confirming to the Star this morning his plans to seek re-election in the Oct. 18 municipal vote.

He noted it can take some time for councillors to figure out the issues and learn to work with staff and other council members on those issues.

It can be beneficial to have consistency on council, he added, so it had been on his mind when he was elected in 2015 that he would seek re-election in three years.

“There needs to be continuity,” he said.

While Boyd’s most recent stint as a councillor began in 2015, he also has the experience of having served two previous terms as a councillor from 1994 to 2000.

He acknowledged this term started “a little rockier” than those he had served on in the 1990s, noting it took council a little longer to come together as a team.

As time has gone on, things have smoothed out, he said. While council members didn’t always agree on everything, they were able to work together on many issues, he believes.

Heading into the election, Boyd said major issues are the work on the upcoming Official Community Plan (OCP); land development and housing; and keeping the city’s finances in check.

He noted the “real work” on the OCP will begin next year after some preliminary efforts by staff currently underway. It’s that document that will “lay the ground work” for all land planning in the city, from quarrying to housing, he said.

That will include looking at where the next major site for residential development in the city will be after the Whistle Bend neighbourhood is built out.

Boyd pointed out some preliminary work has gone into looking at two areas near McLean Lake and Long Lake.

He noted that both sites would be expensive to develop. The Long Lake area would also require a bridge and consideration for access to the Alaska Highway, he noted.

The OCP will look at land use of all types in the city.

And, as Boyd said, land development is a major issue for the city, with little to no available for housing, commercial and industrial development.

Prices in all areas have risen significantly, he said, noting the tight supply makes purchasing or renting a home expensive.

“There’s not much choice,” he said, highlighting the need for more supply in all areas.

Boyd noted that the city has taken some positive steps forward with initiatives like a $1-million grant to the Challenge Disability Resource Group’s Cornerstone Building that’s set to be developed on Main Street and include affordable units.

However, he also said there are also actions the city is taking that push prices up in other areas.

He pointed to the recent addition of two undeveloped lots in the Mary Lake subdivision that the city sold at fair market value for $230,000 each. That now sets the price tag for other country residential lots, pushing the prices up overall, Boyd noted.

He also noted the price of $230,000 is without any services. New owners will have to add any utilities they want, pushing the price up even more.

“We have to be very sensitive to what we are doing,” he argued, adding that “those types of things have a huge impact.”

He also pointed to the increasing cost of single-family homes in all areas of the city.

When the sale of the lots came up at council, Boyd had argued against using market value to determine the price.

He pushed for a deferral on the sale of those properties and other infill lots the city was selling in town in order to look at other pricing options.

Council ultimately voted against the deferral, with many members citing the need to make new properties available as soon as possible.

Boyd argued the city has to look at the “full spectrum of issues” in dealing with the housing and land issues around the city – something he hopes to continue pushing for if he’s elected to another term in office.

He will also continue his efforts to ensure city finances are in check and to keep taxes down.

Boyd was one of two council members to vote against this year’s operating budget, which included the 2.3 per cent increase to property taxes.

“I don’t believe we needed to go 2.3 per cent,” Boyd said, arguing a 2.1 per cent boost would have been more appropriate.

He acknowledged that while it may not appear to be a major difference from the 2.3 per cent hike, the city should keep tax bills as low as it can to provide the services.

While he didn’t agree with this year’s tax hike, Boyd said the city was able to keep the increase more in line with the higher Consumer Price Index in the two years previous.

Boyd would also like to see the city spend more time examining its reserves, pointing out there doesn’t seem to be a sense of how big the reserves should be.

That’s something he would like to look at more in the next term, should he be re-elected.

Boyd is the most recent council member to announce his intentions for the Oct. 18 vote.

Councillors Roslyn Woodcock, Betty Irwin and Samson Hartland have also said they will run again. As the Star reported Tuesday, Coun. Rob Fendrick has confirmed he will not seek re-election.

Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu has not said whether she will seek another term in office.

Also planning to run for one of the six councillor seats are former councillor Mike Gladish, ex-councillor and former NDP MLA Jan Stick, former Yukon Party MLA David Laxton and local residents Steve Roddick, Andrew Smith, Laura Cabott and Cory Adams.

Mayor Dan Curtis is pursuing a third term, with Rick Karp and Wilf Carter also planning to seek the mayoralty.