He is ready to serve the community in a new way.Francis Kunz, a volunteer firefighter with the City of Humboldt, is running for Humboldt City Council in the upcoming election on October 24, one of the 11 candidates running for six seats. Kunz decided to enter the city council race in order to continue serving his community. "I've always been a person who is interested in politics," said Kunz. "I was never afraid to listen to politics and voice my opinion."Kunz grew up in the Annaheim area with his aunt and uncle, who taught him great family values, he explained. From there, Kunz received a Bachelor of Education at the University of Saskatchewan and was a Grade 6-12 teacher for many years. Since teaching, Kunz has been a STC bus agent, a SARCAN supervisor at Futuristic Industries, a retail sales clerk at Peavey Mart and is currently a book keeper at Humboldt Autobody. Kunz has always been interested in politics. "Over the years, I have helped many political candidates, not just in one political line, but in all different lines," said Kunz. "I was the type of person I looked at what was happening at that time and would go with I was willing to change and develop as it went along." Although he has always been interesting in running for city council, his position in the fire department held him back. "The thing that always held me back from running or entering the realm of public service was my love and devotion to serve the people of Humboldt and area as a volunteer firefighter," said Kunz.Since there is a bylaw in place stating that if a firefighter is elected to council, they have to step down as a firefighter, Kunz never seriously considered running for council until now. "I served 26 years and after much reflection on what I've done and what I see in the future, I figure it's time for me to be willing to step down from the fire department and serve the citizens of Humboldt in a new way," said Kunz. "If elected on October 24, Elvis will be leaving the force," he laughed. Kunz did run for council once before, but said at that time he wasn't running seriously. He put his name forward so there would be an election. Now he is ready to help the city move forward. "I have lived and worked in this community for many years and I have seen Humboldt grow," said Kunz. "The growth has brought with it many issues, issues that former councils have tried to address - some excellent decisions and some that still need to be addressed." He believes the key issues in this year's election are infrastructure, traffic control, business growth and citizen health and well-being. Although those are the main concerns he has, Kunz said he knows they are not the only issues out there. During his campaign, Kunz has heard of other more minor issues that he said have not been addressed by city council."It is (those things) that I hope to be a voice for," said Kunz. "If I get elected as a council member, I promise... that I will be open to the citizens of Humboldt. They do not have to be afraid to bring their ideas or concerns to me. I will take them all in, study and research them and do my best to solve them within the bounds that are the best decisions for the community as a whole."
