Submitted questionnaire

Chris Bocskei

Community Advocate

This is the candidate’s public questionnaire. It is not a ForChange recommendation. The committee’s recommended candidates are published on the Candidates page.

01 · Why are you running for Kelowna City Council?

I am running because I firmly believe that bringing a lived perspective to council provides a much-needed balance. This fresh viewpoint will help spark the real, practical changes necessary to lead Kelowna into the future.
02 · Issue #1: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

Implement a Strategic Triage System: Treat homelessness with mass-casualty emergency urgency by tiering limited resources.
Rapid Re-entry ("Walking Wounded"): Assign dedicated case managers to quickly return economically displaced individuals to work and stable housing.
Compassionate Complex Care: Push for intensive, specialized medical and psychiatric support in dedicated facilities for severe mental health and addiction challenges.
Realism & Hard Decisions: Make tough, necessary choices to protect public safety regarding individuals who consistently refuse assistance or cannot safely integrate without intervention.
Council’s Influence: Council can allocate municipal land, streamline zoning for complex care, partner with BC Housing and Interior Health, and fund high-accountability triage models.
03 · Issue #2: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

The Issue: Severe gridlock along main arteries, particularly Highway 97 and the William R. Bennett Bridge bottlenecks.Specific Actions: Direct City Council to launch an immediate operational review of high-traffic corridors:Signal Optimization: Consolidate or remove poorly timed traffic signals impeding flow, especially near the bridgehead (e.g., Abbott Street).Dynamic Lane Management: Feasibility-test an alternating counter-flow middle lane on Highway 97 from the bridge to Gordon Drive for rush-hour capacity.Expanded Staff Mandate: Task engineering staff with real-time optimization of unsynchronized traffic lights.Balanced Transit Investment: Support traffic-flow fixes with robust public transit funding to encourage long-term transit use. Council directs municipal engineering priorities, controls traffic light timing schedules, funds local transit via BC Transit, and MODI
04 · Issue #3: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

Escalating property crime, street-level disruption, and a diminishing sense of safety for families and small business owners.
Expanded Bylaw Equip local bylaw officers with increased authority, training, and specialized duties to address street-level safety issues directly.
Increased RCMP Visibility: Advocate for more foot and mobile patrols in commercial zones and residential neighborhoods to deter crime and improve emergency response times.
Bolstered Auxiliary Police: Expand the auxiliary police program to restore trusted, community-minded security to our streets.
Integrated Safety Teams: Pair proactive policing with specialized, mobile response units made up of mental health and social work professionals to resolve crises early before they escalate.
How Council Can Influence the Outcome: Council sets the municipal police budget, determines RCMP staffing, enforcement.
05 · What experience, skills, and community involvement do you bring to the role?

Having personally navigated poverty, homelessness, addiction, and a brain injury, my lived experience brings an authentic, practical perspective to the council table that cannot be taught in a textbook.
A 25-year background as a professional painter and small business owner, translating to strict oversight of budgets, timelines, resource allocation and staffing.
Community Service Leadership & Governance
Civic Leadership: Proven capability to liaise between citizens and municipal structures, championing underrepresented neighborhoods to address civic inequality.
Campaign Success: Led a high-profile, successful grassroots campaign against a wet house facility near local schools to protect community safety.
Board Governance: Served as Director of the Rutland Residents Association and Committee Member on the McCurdy Place Community Advisory Committee.
Stakeholder Operations & Project ManagementEngagement: Built strategic collaborations with municipal staff, neighborhood groups, and non-profits to resolve hyper-local issues. Volunteer Coordination: Managed diverse community programs, including youth sports administration, Salvation Army operations, and Mill Creek.
06 · How will you approach council decisions when priorities compete for limited resources?

As your city councillor, I see resource management as an active, ongoing responsibility. I will advocate strategically to secure regional funding and government grants for our vital city projects.
07 · How do you work with people who see an issue differently than you?

I view differing perspectives not as conflict, but as essential assets for balanced decision-making. When a colleague disagrees, I assume we are working with different information. My approach centers on establishing mutual clarity by actively listening to their rationale and sharing my own insights. By aligning our context and data, we can resolve understanding gaps and collaborate on robust, well-rounded solutions for Kelowna.
08 · What else should voters know about you?

I’m a recently retired resident, trade professional, and community volunteer—not a career politician.
Having rebuilt my life from the ground up, I offer a realistic, no-nonsense approach to civic governance. Our neighborhoods deserve visible results, not endless committees and polished talking points. From fixing traffic bottlenecks and improving neighborhood safety to creating real solutions for homelessness, I will bring accountability, common sense, and compassion to City Hall every single day.

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