Terrace mayor Dave Pernarowski says he’ll avoid any conflict of interest associated with his new job as manager of the Terrace office of a Vancouver public relations firm.
PR Associates, which already has clients in the region, opened the Terrace office to expand its business.
“I would not be giving presentations to council on behalf of a client and would likely even recuse myself from a general presentation to council from a PR Associates client to avoid any perceived conflict. I will always manage this issue carefully,” said Pernarowski.
He said that same principle would apply to any council discussion concerning a PR Associates client.
Pernarowski had been working since early last year for Kitsault Energy, a company which wants to develop a floating liquefied natural gas plant at the abandoned mining town of Kitsault on the north coast.
Pernarowski said his new position might also reduce his absences from city council meetings, although he noted some of those absences were due to him being on city business.
“I would not be traveling as much with my new company so likely I would be able to reduce the number of times I’m away on work related business,” he said.
Elected first to city council in 2007 and then as mayor in 2008 and 2011, Pernarowski is undecided about running again in this November’s municipal elections.
“It’s never an easy decision when contemplating putting your name forward in a municipal election and it’s particularly challenging when you have to factor in how you balance a full-time career with a half-time elected official position,” he said.
City councillor Bruce Bidgood, who is also the chair of the Kitimat-Stikine regional district, has already announced his intention to run for mayor.