Submitted questionnaire

Nikki Csek

CEO Csek Creative

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

  1. 01 · Why are you running for Kelowna City Council?

    I am running because people deserve a safer community and better results from City Hall and I know I can help deliver them. I have spent decades building businesses and serving this community. I watched, expected the job to get done, and became frustrated when it wasn’t.

    Kelowna has given my family a great deal. It is time for me to give back by making the hard decisions that serve the whole city, not special interests, and by turning existing knowledge into action instead of commissioning another study.

  2. 02 · Issue #1: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Crime and safety: Too many people no longer feel safe walking in their own neighbourhoods. Feeling safe at home, on our streets, and in public spaces is a basic expectation.

    I would stop accepting paralysis. I would strengthen bylaws and public space rules so officers have clear, enforceable tools. I would support a visible presence where it is needed, connect people who are ready for help with appropriate services, and respond firmly to repeat criminal behaviour. I would also press senior governments to address the justice, health, and repeat offender issues the city cannot solve alone.

    Council controls bylaws, budgets, public spaces, and the direction given to enforcement services. We can set clear expectations, measure results, and change what is not working. Residents deserve action, accountability, and measurable improvement.

  3. 03 · Issue #2: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Wildfire resilience: A 2026 analysis by MyChoice ranked Kelowna as Canada’s highest overall wildfire risk city, scoring 6.8 out of 10. Our homes, health, economy, and insurance costs are increasingly exposed. A wildfire in the Okanagan claimed a life this year. Talking about climate is not a plan. Prevention is.

    I would accelerate fuel reduction where neighbourhoods meet wildland, expand treatments proven to reduce fire intensity, strengthen FireSmart work on public and private land, and press the Province to invest more in prevention rather than concentrating resources on suppression after a fire starts.

    Council controls parks, land use, local FireSmart programs, fuel reduction projects, and emergency planning. It can fund measurable prevention work, set priorities, and hold itself accountable for completing them.

  4. 04 · Issue #3: the issue, the specific actions you would take, and how City Council can actually influence the outcome.

    Affordability: Affordability begins at the kitchen table. Households cannot keep giving more. What City Hall spends eventually appears in property taxes, fees, rents, and housing costs.

    I would require every major spending decision to answer four questions: What is the need? What will it cost? What measurable benefit will it produce? What result did taxpayers receive? I would cut waste and distractions, focus the budget on residents’ priorities, and review development cost charges, permit fees, and approval delays that increase housing costs. Growth should pay its fair share, but every charge must be necessary, transparent, and justified.

    Council controls the budget, fees, service priorities, and what receives funding. Taking less where possible, spending smarter and reporting results are municipal choices.

  5. 05 · What experience, skills, and community involvement do you bring to the role?

    For thirty years, I have helped businesses and community organizations solve problems, manage budgets, and make difficult decisions. I run Csek Creative and our local news sites. I currently serve on the strata councils at Aqua and Caban. I previously served with the Downtown Kelowna Association, the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission Advisory Council, the Kelowna Airport Advisory Committee, and Mamas for Mamas.

    I know how to bring people together and turn ambitious ideas into results. I grew a ringette tournament into one of the largest in British Columbia when people said the available ice made it impossible. I created Level Up Business Leadership, the first event of its kind in Kelowna and the largest business conference the city had hosted. Managing more than $500,000 in speaker commitments required vision, calculated risk, and disciplined execution. It became both a community and financial success.

    I communicate plainly, listen carefully, and build consensus. I ask difficult questions, weigh need, cost, benefit, and result, make decisions, and accept responsibility for the outcome.

  6. 06 · How will you approach council decisions when priorities compete for limited resources?

    I begin with a clear mission: protect citizens, make Kelowna more affordable, and reduce wildfire harm. Essential services and legal obligations come first. After that, every spending request must compete on its ability to advance those priorities and deliver value to residents. If it is a distraction or primarily serves a narrow interest, it waits.

    Every proposal must answer four questions. What is the need? What will it cost? What benefit will it produce? What result will residents receive?

    A study can inform a decision, but it is not itself a result. Limited resources require clear priorities, evidence, and the discipline to say no. I will make decisions in the interest of the whole city, not choose the safest vote for reelection.

  7. 07 · How do you work with people who see an issue differently than you?

    I listen, ask careful questions, and try to see the issue from the other person’s position.

    Before settling on a view, I seek out the strongest opposing case. I want to understand not only what someone believes, but also what experience or evidence led them there.

    To build consensus, I make the decision clear. What do citizens need? What is the impact across the whole city, today and in the future? What is the full cost, including what we give up by choosing one option over another?

    I will change my position when better evidence warrants it. When disagreement remains, I explain my reasoning plainly, treat people with respect, and make the decision. Disagreement is normal. Paralysis is optional.

  8. 08 · What else should voters know about you?

    I mean what I say, and I follow through. I am driven by the mission, not by popularity contests.

    Jim and I have raised our family in the same Kelowna home for 28 years, with more than one generation under one roof. We have built businesses, employed people, and invested our lives in this community.

    I grew up in and around hospitality, where I learned that service means listening, solving problems, and treating people with respect. Working in banking taught me the value of money, the discipline required to manage it, and the reality that every dollar is a finite resource.

    One of the principles I live by is that where you invest your love, you invest your life. I love Kelowna. My family, businesses, and service are rooted here, and I am proud to see that commitment reflected in our adult children.

    I do not accept “it is not my job,” “it cannot be done” or “this is how it has always been” as final answers. I ask what is possible, who needs to be involved, and what it will take to move forward.

    I see the goal, build the team and finish the work. That is what voters can expect from me on Council.

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