Councillor Survey

Councillor Survey Question 1
What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role of a Councillor and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role as a Councillor?

Rajko Dodic:

I was a Councillor between 2004 and 2010 and Mayor between 2010 and 2013 after which I chose to not seek re-election because of wanting to spend more time with my family (and what ultimately turned out to become three new grandchildren). I am also a lawyer, albeit only on a very part time basis at this point. My experiences as an elected official and lawyer allow me to seamlessly transition into a Councillor position if I should be elected. I am very familiar with City operations and feel that that knowledge will assist me in making good decisions if given the chance.

Nick Paladino:

I have over 30 years experience as a public service employee. I was the Planning & Development Manager for Lethbridge County until my retirement in 2013. Sitting on the other side of the council table, I understand what Council expects and what administration needs to deliver. I know the tough questions to ask, especially on rezoning and land use matters.

Bill Ginther:

My work experience (among many other things) has been management of people and projects. Also, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with people from many countries and ethnic groups, which I think lends itself well to bring a representative of ALL citizens and becoming a voice for them - this would include our homeless neighbours, who I interact with on a daily basis as the Executive Director of the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen.

Mark Campbell:

I had no political experience when I entered the last election but as someone who worked in TV interviewing a wide range of people in the city I was given a great perspective of what goes on in the city. Over the past four years I have learned a great deal about governance, terms of reference, how budgets work, and I learned that members of administration really want what is best for the city and they are a guiding hand into making the city run. I hope to get another four years to learn even more.

Ryan Wolfe:

I have a B.A., concentration in Political economics. I speak, read and write in French which is a positive for our French speaking minority in LEthbridge. I have worked in "group" homes for teens for over 3 years. Most of these teens suffered with drug addiction and a criminal record. As the "parents" living in the home 24/7, this experience provides the necessary perspectives on the realities of some of the social challenges we face. I work as a mortgage broker. This work allows me to keep my "thumb on the pulse" of how the economic realities of LEthbridge are impacting residents for better or worse. I interact regularly with students, new immigrants, small business owners, members of the indigenous communities, seniors and families on a constant basis. My job involves constantly listening and establishing needs, identifying concerns and challenges and formulating solutions that will bring results. My work on council will require these same strategies just on a larger scale. I see the ramifications of reckless spending, indebtedness and entitlement daily. Once again, I am well positioned to make sure we do not fall into the traps as a city.

Kelti Baird:

I am fortunate to have a fair amount of volunteer and work experience that will be beneficial to the role of Councillor in Lethbridge. I co-own and operate a local brewery called Theoretically Brewing Company which has a particular focus on grass-roots community building, accessibility, and being a place for everyone. I have spent the last several years working on Boards, Commissions, and Committees with the City of Lethbridge in a volunteer capacity including the Galt Museum and Archives Board of Directors (another governance board similar in style to the Lethbridge City Council) as well as the Municipal Planning Commission (an advisory board). I have also participated in many community groups and community building events, interact with a broad cross section of the community thanks to my business and other activities, and I actively enjoy researching city planning and new urbanism principles and ideas. All of this will lend me a unique perspective and expertise on Council that other candidates likely don't have.

Tim VanderBeek:

I work as a substitute teacher and City parks maintenance worker and relief foreman. In those jobs I have extensive contact with people from all over the city and know their concerns. It has also given me an understanding of how the City actually operates at a ground level and some of the problems that can occur when decisions higher up are to be implemented. I have served as chair of the old Sir Alexander Galt Museum Advisory Committee and helped guide it into becoming the Galt Museum and Archives Board and helped create the Lethbridge Sport Council form the Lethbridge Sport Bid Committee. I helped create the governance model and policies for both the Board and Council. I have served on the local ATA Economic Policy Committee dealing with both contract negotiations and working conditions, and as the Substitute Teacher representative on Local Council and as Chair of the Substitute Teacher Committee. Provincially I served on the Provincial Executive Committee’s Substitute Teacher Subcommittee where we determined what the Association should pursue to improve the working conditions of substitute teachers provincially.

Ryan Lepko:

Social issues are the dominant them in this election. I have worked with the Government of Alberta in Children Services, and the last 9 years in the justice stream as a probation officer. Poverty, homelessness and crime are my last twenty years experience. We need law, because that is why it is called Law and Order. But we also need grace and compassion. Either one does not have to operate independent of one another or be seen as opposites. I have seen what I believe works, and seen what I believe does not.

Davey Wiggers:

During my career I have fulfilled the most menial roles, right up to the most senior. As a result, I’ve not only signed the back of a paycheque, but the front as well. I have created budgets, performed cost-benefit analyses, and been responsible for the health and welfare of numerous employees. During my volunteer career I have drafted legislation, balanced budgets, adjusted governance models, led board meetings, and even had to resolve conflict. I feel my work and volunteer experiences were a type of post-secondary education in governance and am therefore uniquely qualified to fill the position.

Dale Leier:

My professional experience as an Air Traffic Controller speaks to my ability to learn, adapt, focus, deal with stress, solve problems, multi-task, understand the regulatory environment, and work in a team setting. Since that time my work in business, finance and not-for profit have shown an ability to turn a need into a vision into a solution that get’s results. Here are just a few of my successes that are relevant: 1. I co-founded, with the University-Industry Liaison Office at Simon Fraser University, the Western Universities Technology Innovation Fund (WUTIF) for the purpose of commercializing academic research. Still operating today, through an innovative co-funding arrangement, it has raised close to $40 million dollars and helped to seed some 250 projects including a couple potential unicorns. For example, General Fusion is an example of one such start-up that could change the world. 2. I was involved in the seafood industry on Vancouver Island by running a processing plant that employed various combinations of Indigenous people, addicts, and the homeless. What I gained is a deep appreciation for the depth and complexity of individuals who all have a story that needs to be heard and respected. What I learned is that although we cannot guarantee outcomes, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those we try to help and that is usually enough of a reward worth make the effort for. 3. I took over the Canadian Association of Vehicle Importers in order to oppose a combined effort by the BC Motor Vehicle Dealers Association and the Insurance Company of British Columbia to prevent the private importation of enthusiast and collector cars. This required an in-depth understanding of legislation, regulation, policy, and practices at both the Provincial and Federal levels. This culminated in my appearance before a special Senate Transport Committee hearing on NAFTA, resulting in Canada proceeding with its obligations to allow imports from the USA and Mexico. As for the fight with BC MVDA and ICBC, a complete victory was achieved and the rights of collectors to choose their rides continues to this day.

Belinda Crowson:

· 4 years as a City Councillor with work on several committees including Airport, Audit, Civic Works, Open and Effective Government (later Governance SPC), Lethbridge Police Commission · Led several projects during the past four years including chairing the Housing Task Force, chairing the Civic Commons Master Plan, and chairing the committee that led governance change and developed a new Procedure Bylaw (as well as chaired other committees and Standing Policy Committees). · Volunteered for, and led, several provincial and local organizations · With degrees in Education and Science, I have worked as a teacher, researcher, and writer. · I have the ability to look at things from multiple perspectives and bring concerns, ideas and questions forward from the community that represent those multiples perspectives. · As a researcher, I have the ability to look beyond the prepared material to discover more in-depth information and to combine all of that into my decisions. · As a historian, I know that many ideas which may look good on the surface, may have unintended consequences and I try to always understand how things will actually unravel which isn’t always the intended consequences. · As a teacher, I have always understood the importance of good questions, of deep conversations with everyone to work towards the best possible solution.

Harold Pereverseff

1- I worked with the Federal Government of Canada as a career (37years) and worked serving the public in my position(s). I was a Canada Border Services Agent at locations across Canada and then as Superintendent at Coutts, Alberta. I transferred to the Canada Revenue Agency and worked 9 years at the Lethbridge CRA office, working with the public and business in our community. Through my career positions, I have extensive knowledge and ability of working with Acts and Regulations, budgets and managing and directing staff. I have worked extensively with the public and with business and understand the challenges faced in our local community. My personal and professional interactions with people and business are well tuned and effective. 2- In retirement, I served 2 terms on a AISH and Income Support "Appeal Panel" with the Provincial Government, where I again worked with the general public to review their concerns and needs regarding their entitlement and benefits from the Provincial programs. 3- In retirement and up until February of 2021, I worked as a uniformed security guard (3 years) with Paladin Security in the downtown core of the City. I have a very detailed and well exposed understanding of issues regarding crime, drugs, prostitution, loitering, vagrancy and the like that is prevelant in our City. 4- I served as a Board member of the Lethbridge Transparency Council up until my announcement of my candidacy for the election. I very much have my finger on the pulse of what is going on at City Hall and in particular the workings of Lethbridge City Council. I have a clear understanding of governance, and promote honest and transparent government, often giving rise to concerns that have been identified due to our investigative findings. 5- I have gone before the City Council numerous times with representations and even with petitions regarding issues in our community. I am well versed in approaching the City Council and the protocols in place. 6- In summary, I am an honest, educated, conscientious and tenacious individual who will get to the heart of the issue(s) and deal with it in the most expedient and official manner. 7- I have lived in the City of Lethbridge for 35 years. I am a home owner. 8- I am and have been active in the Lethbridge Community. I am current President of a non-profit - volunteer Society "Lethbridge Twinning Society" I was former President of the Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association. I am a lifetime member of Lions International. 9- I attended the University of Lethbridge studying Economics.

Shelby MacLeod:

I have over 30 work years experience and 60 years of real life experience that are all relevant to my ability to serve you well as a City Councillor. I am and always have been a Community person. My paid work was Chief of Staff for Minister Clint Dunford, portfolios of Advanced Education, Human Resource and Employment and Economic Development and Tourism with budgets well over $1 billion dollar each. SPC process and budgets are no stranger to me, but prudent spending by every department budget is key, for it's staff and ongoing project commitments. My job is the peoples representative and accountable for the budget approval dollars and planning as submitted by administration. I will always ask the pertinent spending question, is this a cost that the people of Lethbridge can support? I would also ask will this greater good spending and is the taxpayer willing to finance costs into the future, so the project can move forward. Balance spending is the key to sustainable city growth an a manageable tax rate. Sadly, the issues of people supports causes vision division and polarization which causes problems that slow or stop the project or helping collaborative opportunities. Lethbridge has always been able to get the job done through cooperation, innovative accommodations and the help your neighbours. Lethbridge is still a grass routes Community, which we should never loose, but we do need to support folks who are struggling. When elected, I will continue to encourage meaningful collaboration, with a business like approach that is fair on complex service issue. Should we ever get covid gathering protocols back to what they were. We need manageable time for people to gather dialogue and hear the data, the real truth (not water cooler or coffee shop talk) so that the citizens can be part of the workable plan that will support the less fortunate in our City. We can not ship folks out of town or isolate people we do not necessarily approve of. We must to utilize the offers from the churches and service groups and their skillset to help folks affected by the current opioid or complex family crisis issues happening. Lethbridge must be an inclusive society to thrive, grow and attract new businesses who will pay property taxes and create jobs.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

Council is the Board of Directors for the City of Lethbridge. I have ample experience governing organizations. I currently serve on the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce Board. I am a past president of the Alberta Magazine Publisher’s Association, Allied Arts Council, and Economic Development Lethbridge. I have served on the board of Magazines Canada and on the Covenant Health Community Board. I currently serve on the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board and volunteer for Alberta Health Services. I have also participated in 6 successful Team Lethbridge missions – representing a variety of organizations – and worked on a number Lethbridge BILD committees. I’m the past owner and editor of Lethbridge living magazine and am the partner in a communications and marketing consulting business as well as three quick-serve restaurant franchises. I am also an avid viewer of Lethbridge City Council meetings and have faithfully watched Council meetings as well as Operating and Capital budget processes with much interest over the past 15 years. I know what good governance looks like, I know what it is to own a business in our city, I know how to connect people in our community, and I know the stories of our city. I have the experience of being able to work effectively with all levels of government in a variety of capacities and I’m able to work across the entire political spectrum. You can learn more in my bio on my website.

Darcy Logan:

Thanks for the question. My background is non-profit governance. It is important to understand that the city is a municipal corporation. I see a close analogue with other non-commercial incorporated entities that are organized and operated to serve the interests of the public. These require sound stewardship, financial transparency, and stakeholder accountability. I feel my extensive experience in the non-profit sector, in both governance & employee roles, has prepared me for this in many ways. I respect and admire the entrepreneurial spirit, but at the end of the day how successful a “business” operates and manages itself is nobody’s concern but the owner(s), creditors, and CRA. It isn’t the publics business whether the enterprise succeeds or was mismanaged. But in a governance model there has to be public transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability. It is under the microscope, and directly answerable to the public interest. This is something I have been doing for twenty years; mediating different stakeholder voices and finding co-mutual solutions. I have helped incorporate, or sat on public boards with operating budgets ranging from the thousands to the millions. I have worked for large & successful board governed organizations, drafting operating budgets, project managing, writing grants, and doing public reporting. Many of these organizations have been successfully operating in a sustainable manner for decades. These are the strengths I feel I bring to a leadership & stewardship role on council.

Robin Walker:

I believe that my experience running a small business, managing a business services franchise, submitting RFQ responses, project coordination between a local manufacturer and NSPA (NATO's procurement arm) and another with Suncor, accounting experience, and most recently performing property appraisals all contribute to my ability to fulfill the role of a City Councillor. Some experience is directly applicable, while others provide a foundation for understanding policies and processes as well as impacts upon residents. Even driving taxi part time over the years has offered me perspective on this city and its inhabitants as well as demonstrating my ability to relate amicably to people of all sorts. Further, I have always been interested and open to learning about all facets of life, and taking on this role would be no different. I commit fully to learning anything and everything I can to do the best job for our city and the people and businesses for which it is home.

Councillor Survey Question 2
What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Lethbridge are, and how would you approach being an elected representative?

Rajko Dodic:

1. Covid-19 pandemic: initially, the Province was reluctant to introduce protective measures such as masking and I do give credit to Council for adopting a mask mandate when the Province would not. Later the Province did so as well and there is one currently in place so the City need not pass a parallel one but if the Province relaxes their mitigation efforts too soon, I would support Council stepping into the breach again to pass safety measures. 2. Safety issues. The Police Budget was recently cut which I believe was a mistake particularly bearing in mind that we have the dubious distinction of being the highest property crime rate per capita for municipalities with over 100,000 residents. The Police need a predictable budget they can rely on to do their job and it is counterproductive to reduce their budget in mid-cycle. That will need to be addressed by the new Council. 3. Infrastructure. Maintenance for green spaces and parks was cut back by $600,000 last year although $100,000 was put back in. Roads are like an off road course bearing in mind the tire killing pot-holes (I speak from experience). These may be somewhat mundane issues but are examples of what happens when you defer maintenance on our infrastructure and it needs to be addressed.

Nick Paladino:

Initially, I felt that Economic Development would be the biggest issue. However, in speaking with residents, I have come to the conclusion that our crime rate and public safety is more important right now, and not just in the downtown area.

Bill Ginther:

Among many other issues affecting our city are homelessness and addictions accompanied by a drastic increase in petty theft. Developing resources to address this issues (which are also a safety concern for citizens) are high in my list of issues that desperately need to be addressed.

Mark Campbell:

Homelessness and the drug crisis continues to be our biggest social issues right now. We will continue to work with all levels of government and to work with stakeholders in the city to find meaningful solutions.

Ryan Wolfe:

Spending: Council has forgotten and become desensitized to the fact that they are spending our money, no theirs. For example, during the economic and social cataclysm of COVID, council paid an Edmonton based firm to develop a new city logo. There is absolutely zero way to quantitatively justify these expenditures. We have absolutely no way of knowing if spending this money will benefit residents and business owners in any way. This is just one example but it drives the point home that we need to spend limited resources much more efficiently and effectively. Crime: For the second year in a row, you live in the city with the HIGHEST Crime Severity Index in the entire country. When I speak to business owners and neighbours, they all share their concerns about crime, criminal drug use, and safety. We have major city parks that remain basically unused and unusable due to the presence of used needles and due to the fear of encountering aggressive panhandlers or the fear of having to witness someone overdosing on illegal street drugs. Most of the homeless population are not dangerous and we need to work together to find helpful solutions. Unfortunately, there are criminals in our midst that break into businesses, assault business owners and create an atmosphere of fear that negatively impacts people’s perceptions of our city and especially of our beautiful downtown core. There are solutions to these issues but we have to act now. Law Enforcement needs to feel supported to ENFORCE the law. We can make Lethbridge a less appealing market for drug dealers and those that perpetrate crime in our city. My priority will be to engage with law enforcement and other community support services in order to find ways to prevent crime, punish criminals and support those that need and want help. Back to Business: I chose “Back to Business” as my slogan because like you I am ready to move on after a long and difficult struggle through the COVID pandemic. Many people lost their jobs, businesses left the city, many became gravely ill and sadly, some loved ones died. The pandemic is not over and there will be ramifications for months and years. Businesses, people and families will need time and support in order to recover. Lethbridge’s best days await and I am excited to work with you to revitalize our local economy and attract investment. Many business owners have shared that Lethbridge continues to have too much “red tape” at all levels. I agree and will work to streamline and simplify the regulatory and license procedures in order to encourage increased investment in Lethbridge. It’s time to get “Back to Business”.

Kelti Baird:

The perception of public safety in the community is this cycle's biggest election issue. We are at the cusp of a perfect storm: a depressed economy, global pandemic, looming climate crisis, and ongoing homelessness and opioid addiction are all contributing to a feeling of unrest and unease in the community. We're living in very interesting times to put it lightly. I approach the job of being an elective representative as a duty of honour. It would be my greatest honour to serve my community in this capacity, and I aim to be responsible to all citizens of Lethbridge and make decisions based on what is best for the greatest number of people in our community regardless of socioeconomic status.

Tim VanderBeek:

The biggest issue facing Lethbridge right now is the homelessness, drug addiction, and crime problem throughout the city. We need to develop an integrated and coordinated plan to break the cycle. The other issue is that the city needs to look after what we already have before we start pursuing new major projects.

Ryan Lepko:

Safety and the economy. Safety would be ensuring the police are properly equipped and staffed to provide that service. But also accountable to the taxpayers as they are the single highest cost to the city. Economy the city creates the environment to attract business. Competitive tax rate, non burdensome regulations and regulatory approvals. We have fantastic amenities, unfortunately Lethbridge's crime issues may be detracting some dollars being invested here.

Davey Wiggers:

The single biggest issue facing Lethbridge is the issue of community safety as it relates to the opioid crisis. i. Restore the unconscionable cuts to the 2021 & 2022 Police Budget, then institute Community Policing. ii. Create a Loitering By-Law (as precedented by other cities) then enforce it. iii. The Watch is great, enhance it with beat cops iv. Get Police back to policing duties and away from performing administration duties. Transit i. City has tried to improve it using CityLink, how’s that going? Are we engaging citizens affected by the changes to see how they feel? Are we pivoting where and when we need to? (Insert Ross Geller’s PIVOT! GIF here, lol.) ii. Ridership? The city already subsidizes ridership to the tune of some 80% of net budget. Incenting riders with student passes, or downtown employees so they don’t need to park their cars downtown. General passes when wholesale changes are made for example. This makes sense because polls never give you reliable data if the sample size is too small. Lastly, speaking of offering bus passes to downtown employees to save on parking. Downtown paid parking is the last on the list. i. I know only a couple people who have tried to convince me that the free parking at Park Place doesn’t draw potential shoppers away from downtown shops. Couple, as in 2. I know far more people who work downtown that believe otherwise. ii. Combine personal safety concerns with the prospect of having to pay a minimum $1.80 for a 5 minute in & out, guess what, I’m going to the mall. iii. There are potential issues with making downtown free parking, but thanks to the roaming meter checkers that cost us a fortune, we have the technology to restrict parking time, and still issue tickets.

Dale Leier:

[Editor: The candidate didn't provide a text answer, but instead attached a document on his 10 priorities, which is available on his website.]

Belinda Crowson:

Council needs to be working on multiple projects and multiple timelines at one time, thinking of both short-terms issues and immediate results, but also long-range planning and helping the community be successful long into the future. This requires a great depth of understanding of the issue, the ability to understand and work on complex issues, and being able to hold long-range perspective. Some of the short-term problems include social issues and crime and working with the community on economic recovery and positioning ourselves as a strong community coming out of the pandemic. Longer-term problems include sustainability (economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, etc), a comprehensive plan for community development (how to grow the city in a way that is intelligent, makes best use of current infrastructure and doesn’t add unnecessary financial strain) and ongoing work to develop necessary infrastructure (such as the airport, transportation systems, broad band, etc.). Combined with all of that, elected representatives must also keep in mind that they are the board of directors for the corporation of Lethbridge. Works needs to continue, both in the short-term and in the long-term, of ensuring the organization runs effectively and is well governed, with appropriate oversights and measurements in place.

Harold Pereverseff

1- Safety and security of our community, in all respects, for residential as well as business areas. 2- Current social issues stemming from drug abuse, homelessness, crime and proceeds of crime. 3- Expenditures and indiscriminate allocations of funds that have been administered by City Council. 4- High taxation rates for residential and business. 5- Lack of good and solid decisions made by City Council. 6- As your elected City Councillor, I will "Stop, Look, Listen and then Proceed" in all respects and all areas to make our community a safe place for business and residential families alike. I will ensure that adequate focus is placed on problem areas and that appropriate funding is in place to provide the tools and framework to address issues. I will always keep a fine tuned ear to the community, hearing suggestions and concerns from residents and business.

Shelby MacLeod:

Municipal government is the closest and easiest to invoke taxpayer spending controls of all the governing authority we vote for in Canada. Another reason municipal government is the most accountable level of government, you the taxpayer has easier access to a Lethbridge Council person, at a sporting event, on the street, church, in the grocery store, or wherever people gather. As a Councillor, I will be always be accountable to the people of Lethbridge on every decision or vote that I make.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

Community safety, supports for people experiencing homelessness and addictions, and a lack of “listening” at City Hall are three significant issues. There appears to be a disconnect between the City of Lethbridge and its residents, there’s division in our community, and residents have lost faith in all levels of government and feel that there’s little to no leadership. In my platform I emphasize the importance and need for meaningful engagement and communication. This includes understanding the value of listening and hearing what people have to say. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I will listen, learn, and I will not be afraid to ask questions. I will also work hard to rebuild faith in our local leadership by working effectively with our residents, and different levels of government – holding them accountable for the services our city needs: from healthcare and mental healthcare supports, to supporting our post-secondary and skills building institutions. We need to be holding these levels of government accountable to our residents.

Darcy Logan:

There are two pressing issues for me; the push to Love Lethbridge, and the social crisis. We need to push for loving Lethbridge; let's elicit civic pride, and encourage our community to champion our world-class businesses, recreation, and cultural opportunities. Privileging local is particularly urgent as we transition out of the pandemic. We can quietly work toward solving other serious problems while being cheerleaders for our community. If we want to make our community a desirable place for investment, tourism, relocation, and retention, we need a positive and united front. The optics around our municipality haven't been great on the provincial and national stage, and we should focus on transitioning Lethbridge from being a regional hub to a major destination. The social crisis also needs immediate attention. We need to continue to advocate for our provincial government to support funding toward transitional housing, treatment, and other harm reduction measures. What we have tried so far hasn't worked. I am committed to getting stakeholders together at professionally facilitated visioning & roundtable discussion to develop concrete solutions; experts from mental health, addictions, transitional housing, public health, cultural stakeholders, harm reduction, business sector, and the invested public at large. There are inter-organizational conversations happening currently, but we need broader discourse if we are going to come up with pragmatic and actionable ways forward. These conversations need to be guided by expert mediators from outside of our community whose professional expertise is working with divided communities.

Robin Walker:

I believe the biggest issues currently facing Lethbridge are primarily those of a social nature, such as the homeless, opioid crisis, and divisiveness. I am also aware of the high taxes paid by our residents and that we need to make sure there is value being received for taxes paid (and if not then adjustments need to be made to either the rate, services and other expenses, or both). To address the social issues I would reach out to local community groups to generate ideas to address these issues, which I would then bring to council and the community at large. While I admit that am not fully versed on all the policies and procedures that are relevant to the position of City Councillor, I would quickly familiarize myself with all I need to know to serve our residents as best I can.

Councillor Survey Question 3
What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the City does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?

Rajko Dodic:

The Municipal Government Act prescribes what the core duties of municipalities are. Safety- Police, Fire EMS; Community Services- parks, recreational, sports cultural and arts facilities; Transit - City buses, Access-a-ride; Infrastructure: roads, water, sewer, waste collection, etc. Sometimes City Council gets involved in a variety of social issues that are more properly the purview of the Provincial or Federal Government. What can happens is that the City undertakes programs at a cost to taxpayers that are more properly funded by other levels of government and those levels are more than happy to let the City do that. If elected, I would like to examine whether, and to what extent, we are paying for cross jurisdictional programs; if we are, then I would like to examine whether they should be continued.

Nick Paladino:

Municipal Government is all about the safety of its residents, whether it be safe roads, safe services and policing. And all of it has to be provided in a cost effective manner. Sometimes I feel the City tries to do too much, especially when they are asked to do things that are clearly a provincial matter. Bad advice perhaps?

Bill Ginther:

The role of municipal governments is to govern the affairs of the city on behalf of those who elected councillors. It’s of utmost importance that all decisions are non partisan. I think the city dies enough but could do a much better job of tackling pressing social issues.

Mark Campbell:

To make the city as the best city it can be and that is multi-faceted. Right now I believe the city has the right amount of what it can or cannot do.

Ryan Wolfe:

I have learned that many residents have totally unrealistic expectations of council. We are here to run a business of sorts. We are not all knowing and all seeing. We depend on input from residents. businesses and community organizations. I am here to listen but council needs to "Stay in our lane". Attempts to be all things to all people will make us inefficient and delay needed progress on all pressing issues.

Kelti Baird:

The role of the municipal government is to set policies and priorities for City Administration to enact in the community. We have a responsibility to critically assess our systems, bylaws, and policies to ensure the municipal administration is acting in accordance with the wishes of the elected representatives (who represent the citizens of Lethbridge). I think that the City government doesn't do enough in our community. We have the ability and the platform, not to mention the mandate, to make decisions that will benefit our community. Much of what I see at City Hall is reactive, whereas I favour a more proactive approach to the ongoing challenges in our community.

Tim VanderBeek:

The role of a municipal government is to provide services for the people that live there. I think that on certain projects it has moved too fast.

Ryan Lepko:

I believe government goes into lanes it needs not go in. Municipal government should provide safety services, pick up the garbage and build and maintain infrastructure. I am not a proponent of going into business and let private capital take those risks.

Davey Wiggers:

The role of a municipal government is to administer public services such as out Emergency Services, Transit, Infrastructure and Community Housing. To analyze budgets and implement the mill rate for taxation. Implement regulations only where necessary. I believe the city involves itself too much in the local market place, choosing winners and losers, or even supplanting local business in some cases. I believe a redress is in order.

Dale Leier:

Fundamentally, as indicated under the Municipal Government Act, the purposes of a municipality are to provide good government, to foster the well-being of the environment, to provide services, facilities, or other things that, in the opinion of council, are necessary or desirable for all or a part of the municipality, to develop and maintain safe and viable communities, and to work collaboratively with neighbouring municipalities. This gives the municipality a great deal of leeway AFTER essential services such as water, sewer, garbage, roads, fire, and policing have been addressed effectively. Everything else could be considered Common Sense Lethbridge 2021 - Leier desirable but not necessities. Of course, life is a great deal more than having the basic needs met. It comes down to budget and public support. It is my considered opinion the City of Lethbridge has fallen short on meeting some of its obligations so far as meeting the necessities and exceeded its mandate with regards to engaging in services that do not meet wide support. This has manifested itself with a strong interest in a ward system as the various neighbourhoods around Lethbridge feel they have been short-changed by the past 2 administrations. IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!

Belinda Crowson:

What a councillor or candidate thinks is irrelevant. It is what the community thinks that matters, as a municipal government must be responsive to the community (while also recognizing the legal jurisdictions in which they work and their financial and other obligations). While the Municipal Government Act puts the bare minimum requirement as providing responsible and accountable local governance in order to create and sustain safe and viable communities, it is the will of the people as a whole that determines what precisely a safe and viable community is and Council as a whole, and individual councilors, should be guided by the community conversations and discussions that showcase the communities’ desires, hopes, and needs.

Harold Pereverseff

The role of the municipal government is to operate the affairs of the City in areas of social, economic development, business, residential, environmental, cultural, tourism and currently the land allocations/sales as well as effective interactions with Provincial and Federal administrations. The role of the municipal government changes in areas of concentrated efforts from time to time. I believe greater emphasis is necessary in the area of economic development and making Lethbridge attractive for new business and enterprise. Lethbridge is unique as we have a great opportunity of expanding our commercial opportunities as we simply have land and infrastructure, either available or readily available to accommodate future commercial enterprise. I believe that the City should divest of some of their current and/or planned areas such as the recycling and green waste programs. Private businesses can provide these services as a user pay basis, and not to saddle the entire residents with a service(s) that they do not want or need. I believe that the City should carefully follow recommendations of the KPMG report and consider divesting of some commercial areas such as the Enmax Centre.

Shelby MacLeod:

The role of municipal government is to ensure that the people- taxpaying residents of this City have the community services and accessible supports to live a safe, healthy, balanced life. There are a variety of visions regarding what job do we want done by city employees? Some say that some tasks can be contracted out - for faster turnaround - for short intense outcomes that can be managed and would complement the existing city roles. A key example is watering the trees and grass in our unusual sun dried city, this past long hot summer. People have asked, why can't timely watering be done by a service group or a summer contract gardening service? A fair question, that I will ask of our City Manager - could watering of certain areas be done by service club. They can get the weeding and plant saving job done. Groups nay need to be supervised or supported with an appropriate watering vehicle. Groups and people can be involved in the beautification part of the community, many hands make light work... especially when we always want people to have more civic pride.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

The Municipal Government Act has a list of basic duties that municipalities need to fulfil and can perform. To me, the role is to provide the core services to ensure we “maintain a safe and viable”, sustainable community. We need to do so while constantly evaluating what services are provided and how they are accomplished.

Darcy Logan:

The role of the city is to be a steward for the critical infrastructure that makes the municipality a functional and sustainable place for both those who live in Lethbridge, and those thinking of staying/investing here. This involves not only critical infrastructure like sewers, streets and emergency services, but social infrastructure like recreation, culture, libraries, and parks.

Robin Walker:

I believe that local citizens should be the focus of our municipal government, and that an important objective should be to increase the active involvement and participation of all citizens. Second to that, service delivery and long-term planning of infrastructure and development are important responsibilities of the municipality (with direction from citizens). The City of Lethbridge does a lot for its citizens, much of it good, and some of it at too high a cost to taxpayers or in a form that a significant proportion disagree with. While I am not intimately familiar in all that the City does and how this compares to others, I would work to develop that knowledge and discuss with other Council members and residents about how we can better serve our citizens without costing them more than necessary.

Councillor Survey Question 4
Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Rajko Dodic:

The City of Edmonton used to publish a apples to apples comparison of property taxes and utility rates across the province. They looked at both items because it gave a better picture of the total an average resident pays for services over a year. If I recall correctly, back then, the City was right in the middle of the pack of 15 cities that were looked at. Unfortunately, Edmonton stopped doing that because I expect they saw that they tended to be on the high end of the scale. In terms of where we stand now, I can't say how we compare other than the fact that taxes have not decreased but it appears there has been a decrease in services (examples being the parks maintenance and Police budget reductions alluded to in an earlier reply).

Nick Paladino:

I think taxes are a bit too high. We don’t have a taxation problem, we have a spending problem. Council must establish the difference between a “need” and a “want”. In the last 4 years, I don’t recall this council saying “no” to many requests for funding.

Bill Ginther:

I can’t comment on this with authority but from what I’m hearing, the City of Lethbridge is taxed quite heavily compared to other similar sized cities.

Mark Campbell:

We are at a disadvantage in the city in the disproportionate amount of property taxes we pay and that's based a lot on the fact that 8 out of our 10 biggest businesses don't pay property tax. We need more non-residential tax dollars to even that out.

Ryan Wolfe:

Ultimately, taxes are too high. The residents need to elect a council that is firm on maintaining a focus on selective and efficient spending. Several candidates often use the word "free" in their presentations without admitting that nothing is "Free". You and I pay when someone else gets something for nothing. This is a dangerous way of thinking. I really want to work with a council that wants to avoid tax increases. We pay enough.

Kelti Baird:

Lethbridge is a bit of a puzzle when it comes to property taxes. We have high taxes, but also have high quality amenities and services to match. I believe there are some efficiencies to be made in the community but I will not lower taxes if it means sacrificing those amenities or services. If people feel underserved in the community I am interested to learn more and work within our current means to ensure that everyone in the community feels adequately served.

Tim VanderBeek:

Property taxes are too high.

Ryan Lepko:

Depends who you ask. Me, they are to high.

Davey Wiggers:

When excluding non-residential (business) property taxes, Lethbridge has the second highest mill rate in the province, Grande Prairie having the highest. Several incumbent councilors have tried to downplay that statistic by including business property taxes into the formula, then further lessening the blow by listing the number as a per capita statistic as represented per 100,000 residents. Mark Twain once said that there are 3 kinds of lies. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics.

Dale Leier:

Too high according to all the metrics leaving us uncompetitive and vulnerable in a downturn.

Belinda Crowson:

At present, Lethbridge’s taxes are about average in Lethbridge compared to representative communities in the province. However, this discussion isn’t only about tax level. It’s about what is being done with the taxes. Are residents getting value for the taxes they are paying? Do our tax rates keep us competitive with other communities and thus support business development and encourage people to live here? Can we show value for money? Are we spending money in the appropriate places and achieving the results and benefits that the community wants, deserve and needs? The lack of good KPIs in the city and the lack of an appropriate way to share these measurements and goals with the community makes answering some of these questions difficult. Work started on developing appropriate KPIs under the last Council and is progressing. Within the term of the next Council, a comprehensive community dashboard will exist that will help guide these conversations between Council and the community.

Harold Pereverseff

The property taxes in Lethbridge are simply too high.

Shelby MacLeod:

I understand the taxpayer's concern - regarding how much or the possibilities of their property tax rising, especially the Senior or fixed income person/family. Every time I open a utility type envelope; gas/electric the energy unit and those expensive line charge have risen, then there is the: house and car insurance costs have risen, then there's the rising food costs we see changing weekly. With all those ongoing basic cost increases - the family savings account is shrinking or empty. When that yearly tax notice arrives, households get taxpayer - sticker shock. I think this new council must be very clear on what they are trying to do to hold the costing - taxation lines. We know building new is great, but let's complete our current projects, ensuring the taxpayer can fund the ongoing cost. Infrastructure maintenance and staff wages are obligations we must deal with and account for a major spending part of the city budget that affect the taxpayer mill rate. This council must spend sensibly and review the sustainability of current policy pledges, visions and the City's Civic Work Strategic plans.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

The City of Lethbridge is facing some immediate challenges, and we’re going to need to have some honest conversations around level of service and fiscal management. Our taxes pay for services, and we need to evaluate spending based on service levels and program effectiveness. Council is going to have to ensure our residents feel they are receiving good value for their tax dollars, while investing where we need to invest, such as with our first responders, firefighters, and police services. We also need to ask residents where they can find efficiencies in the services they use. We can all cut programs we don’t use, so we need to start by evaluating all our programs and ask those who use them where they can find efficiencies.

Darcy Logan:

We have a high level of service delivery, and we are heavily taxed for it. It is easy to say taxes are too high, and I hate losing a chunk of my income myself. But I don't support lowering them and compromising any of the important services the municipality currently offers. I certainly don't want to see them insidiously creep higher, either. This is a complicated conversation I hope to have with colleagues, peers, and the broader community.

Robin Walker:

It seems to me that property taxes are definitely too high when compared to other municipalities in Canada. Lately Lethbridge rates have been among the highest in the province, in 2016 behind only Grande Prairie, and in 2019 the highest among the 10 largest cities in the province.

Councillor Survey Question 5
Over the next four years, should the City spend less in absolute terms, increase spending but by less than the rate of inflation and population growth, increase by the rate of inflation and population growth, or increase faster than the rate of inflation and population growth?

Rajko Dodic:

To maintain existing levels of service, we would have to increase spending by the level of inflation. Once folks get used to a level of service, it's hard to pull back from that so an inflationary increase would at least maintain the staus quo.

Nick Paladino:

Increase only by the rate of inflation and population and reduce the amount of new capital expenditure.

Bill Ginther:

Increase (ONLY) by rate of inflation and population growth.

Mark Campbell:

We need to continue to invest where it makes sense. We have to leverage money we have in our reserves to receive government grants for the many things we want to do.

Ryan Wolfe:

I do not have enough information about all of the factors involved in this equation to give an accurate answer. There are way too many variables involved and way too much can change in 4 years.

Kelti Baird:

Without knowing the economic factors of the next 4 years, it's hard to make this kind of judgement. I don't want to increase taxes in the next 3 years, and believe the City should have spending that reflects that goal, but I also appreciate we are going to need some investment to spur economic recovery from all of the factors that have been difficult over the last 4 years.

Tim VanderBeek:

I believe that there should be an increase in spending but by less than the rate of inflation and population growth.

Ryan Lepko:

This is a difficult question to answer because the Bank of Canada and the Federal Government monetary policies have assured inflation will be much much higher then 2%. Inflation will not be transitory and the feds have assured we will have runaway inflation. How high that will be? I do not know. But budget restraints need to happen immediately.

Davey Wiggers:

I think we’ve had enough spending on capital projects for a while. Restore the police budget, review the CIP. Advocate to other levels of government for special project funding, or research P3 funding if possible for the rest.

Dale Leier:

We may be headed into what will be seen as the most challenging times in the history of our fine city. Given the fact that we have allowed things such as roads and parks to go unmaintained, we probably cannot cut spending overall. We should try to hold the line in absolute terms until we get our house in order over the next 4 years. During this time, we should look closely at our spending and reallocate to ensure the necessities are addressed first. Incurring huge additional capital expenditures in the short term is not likely an option as the associated operating and maintenance costs would impair our ability to manage responsibly. Meanwhile, we need to look at other strategies for funding new projects and find ways to set aside funds for unexpected events or new crises.

Belinda Crowson:

If the past four years have taught us anything, trying to predict what will happen in the next four years and making any promise, which may be unsustainable, is foolish. A Council must respond to the situations in which they govern. If there are extensive cuts made by the other orders of government, then a conversation needs to be held with the community about the financial realities we face as a community and all options considered. In my term on Council, we have seen the lowest tax increases over the past 20 years (1.82%, 0% and 0%). I was also the first Councillor in 20 years to bring forward a resolution to reopen the operating budget in the middle of a term, which led to a reconsideration of the operating budget last November. I recognize from speaking with many members of the community that there is a concern that a future Council will go back to a time of large tax increases. One thing I think is vital moving ahead is priority based budgeting, which means, as you might expect, that a community budgets based on the priorities expressed by the community and the needs in the community. Money is put into the areas of greatest concern. As we make changes within the city and corporation, it will require increased spending in certain areas – in priority areas. We cannot solve some of the problems we’re facing without that. However, that is going to require deep conversations about where we make adjustments in other areas to ensure we can fund the priorities. These are conversations that the new Council must have with the community and difficult decisions are going to have to continue to be made, as they were last November when cuts were made in many several departments.

Harold Pereverseff

Ideally, the City should be spending less in absolute terms, however we are not in "ideal times" coming out of (hopefully) the pandemic. Regardless, careful consideration must be front and centre of expenditures. Cutting back in spending will be a challenge as City Departments are crying for more money, Cut backs are possible and in the sense of Lethbridge and our historic high taxation, necessary. Budget reviews must be undertaken and appropriate, fair and realistic cuts made.

Shelby MacLeod:

Over the next four years, the City will spend what it is obligated to, which will include wages and salaries and infrastructure maintenance in absolute terms. As for spending to be less than the rate of inflation and population growth costs, we would have to hold the line or reduce costs to meet that goal. Although the City finance department could spend wisely and hold the taxation should a major or many new businesses were to open, employing a large number of property tax paying people. Those paid property taxes could result in a rate offset to be less than the rate of inflation and population growth? A City is a complex entity, the larger it grows, the more services the citizens seem to want or need. As your Councillor I will always remember the economic principle: there is only 1 taxpayer - you and me; so I will respect your taxation wishes.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

Spending must be based on demonstrated need and support for services delivered in an efficient and effective manner. There is no one formula as Program A may require an increase but Service Level B is decreased because of found efficiencies. Over the next four years, Council must continue to evaluate programs and service levels, and they should allocate funds to the programs and policies that meet the level of service people expect.

Darcy Logan:

Ideally, we should be striving for neutral spending, but as inflation and the cost of living index increase this may prove difficult. Moving forward out of the pandemic, we need to proceed with fiscal caution, while staying ready to make bold & visionary decisions that will grow the community.

Robin Walker:

Ideally the City would spend less in absolute terms over the next four years, however that may not be possible given inflation and population growth, so to keep spending below the rate of inflation and population growth would be the next best. That said, I understand that the issues facing our City will require spending, so it would serve us well do to the best we can soliciting for provincial and federal funds, assistance/investment from the private sector, and increasing returns on City investments (like earnings on or sale of properties owned by the City that are currently stagnant).

Councillor Survey Question 6
Everyone says they support affordable housing, but what does that term mean for you? Do you think the City should be subsidizing housing for lower-income residents? Or focused on keeping the cost of all housing from getting out of control? Or perhaps some combination of the two? If so, how?

Rajko Dodic:

Affordable housing is defined in so many ways. To me, affordable housing would be that housing that someone earning minimum wage would be able to actually pay for from their income. The reality is that that is unlikely. The City has no legal mechanism to control housing costs as that is market driven; we couldn't for example, pass a by-law that says no home could cost more than X amount of dollars. There are Provincial monies administered through the City to assist with housing affordability and I support that.

Nick Paladino:

It’s true that everyone’s view of affordable housing is different. To me, I would say that smaller, compact homes or duplexes fit my definition of affordable housing. Something along the lines of what is currently being developed by Lethbridge Housing Authority behind/east of Lowes. Others feel that compact apartment suites are something the City should encourage, perhaps in the downtown area. I like the suggestion of a combination of both subsidies and keeping an eye on cost. Keep in mind that the home builders will only build what the public demands so its hard to control cost if the demand is for higher-end homes, for example.

Bill Ginther:

Affordable housing to me is simply defined by says that we need to developers m/create housing that people can actually afford and that it should never account for more than 25% of a families income. Definitely a combination of the two.

Mark Campbell:

We must continue to create partnerships with all levels of governments in the hopes of getting funding to build housing for those who need it and hopefully keeping their costs down. We may look at a combination of city and private investment. We also need to have a very holistic look at what we can do with existing structures that can be turned into housing programs. That can be controversial but we’ve got to get creative.

Ryan Wolfe:

The city has little ability to control "the cost of all housing". Again, we do not control the free market economy of Canada. As a capitalist society, we accept that supply and demand decide on pricing for the general population. If someone wants to pay me 700k for my house....then that has nothing to do with council. As far as affordable housing is concerned. We do need to consider the needs of those who suffer and those that need a hand up. I have already begun to study cheaper and much more efficient models of subsidized housing for these who need it. Even Medicine Hat, the city that has conquered "homelessness" charges their consumers rent. It is not free. I look forward to working more on this challenge.

Kelti Baird:

Affordable housing means having a variety of housing options (condos, apartments, town or row houses, and single-family dwellings) that are affordable for all manner of people interested in living in Lethbridge. I do think the City has an opportunity to subsidize safe supportive housing for our unhoused/homeless population to help address issues of social wellbeing in our community. My focus is to break the poverty cycle prevalent in Lethbridge and ensure a vibrant and accessible community for everyone. Disincentivizing property hoarding by the landlord class will be important to the stabilization of the housing market in Lethbridge, though our real-estate market here is typically not too volatile. Other jurisdictions around the world are starting to look at housing affordability and accessibility as a public health issue that should be addressed in the broader community.

Tim VanderBeek:

Affordable housing is housing that does not take the majority of a person’s monthly income. People should be able to have money left over for essentials like food, clothing and transportation. I think that there should be a combination of the two. Unfortunately, especially with Covid, many people are not able to afford housing and it will cost more if they end up on the street. We also need to be cognizant that all increases in taxes have effects on those with fixed incomes and even the population at large.

Ryan Lepko:

I believe having a pay to own system would be more attractive and beneficial. There is something more rewarding about making payments to something that you will own in the end versus not owning. That is my own thoughts and feel we should be going in that direction.

Davey Wiggers:

Affordable housing as described in the question is a bit of a misnomer. The city doesn’t subsidize housing for low-income residents. The city is tasked with distribution of provincial and federal funds as it relates to housing, but there is no contribution from property taxes. There’s a case to be made that the funds that the city distributes aren’t necessarily appropriated properly, but that’s not really this question. As far as cost of all housing, that’s set by market forces, not the city.

Dale Leier:

Affordable housing is one of the many essential functions of a municipality as it epitomizes the efficiency and effectiveness of our community. Ensuring a sufficient supply of safe and economical housing is necessary for the health of the community. Without it, workers and their families will be unable to live, work and play. In turn, this puts our businesses and local economy at risk. This city has become addicted to development and if it all stopped tomorrow, we would be in tough straights. The Lethbridge Land, a crown corporation owned and operated by the City of Lethbridge, buys up blocks of raw land and re-sells it to developers in to make a profit. These profits are used to fund other municipal activities. At the same time, however, it drives up the cost of lots and makes housing more expensive and, by extension, less affordable. Housing for lower-income residents can be addressed through land grants to developers for this purpose, and by reducing delays and costs for permitting so that builders can lower their costs.

Belinda Crowson:

The term affordable housing is clearly defined in Canada as housing that costs less than 30% of a household’s before-tax income. There are many ways that a community such as Lethbridge supports affordable housing. This is through some of the planning and development work (rezoning work, etc.) being done to permit and encourage secondary suites, basement suites and other types of housing. It is also through a comprehensive look at all city fees (taxes, utilities, fees, and more) that needs to be done to help ensure more Lethbridge residents can afford their housing. And more (more details can be found in changes to the recent MDP and in proposed changes to the Land Use Bylaw). Social housing is housing that is subsidized by a level of government. Social housing is required for those who most need it and, yes, does include rental subsidies. Housing is a complex issue and needs to involve many partners (private and public) as well as many different techniques. The two you have mentioned need to be considered. But so, too, do programs that support landlords and encourage them to rent to people who require social housing. Some programs suggested includes volunteer or low-cost support to landlords to repair any potential damage that may occur to their properties. It also includes education to landlords and renters on landlord/tenant issues. It involves helping to connect people to housing supports and ensuring staff are both trained and available to do this work. As noted, this is a complex issue and we need to look at, and employ, many different tools as we work to solve it.

Harold Pereverseff

Affordable housing can come in many forms, some communities have adopted sub-divisions where the focus is multi-family housing and even "small homes initiatives' '. There are a number of focus areas that may be considered. The City has to take a realistic approach in any subsidization for housing, qualifying criteria has to be fair and equitable. There has to be a responsibility aspect determined by need and outcome in all situations. It would be a challenge for the City to attempt to keep the cost of housing from getting out of control as this factor is driven by market economy. With the University and College within our City, the factors affecting cost of housing will fluctuate, traditionally Lethbridge has been a steady market economy with little unexpected increases in housing costs.

Shelby MacLeod:

Often people refer or says they support affordable housing, they mean affordable to them and their pay cheque, but for me it means housing that is safe and affordable for a working person or family on minimum wage. Often affordable or cheap rent housing has been in unsafe neighbourhoods, or versions of communal living - which may not be safe, let alone with personal privacy. A room with a door and a bathroom is a minimum standard for safe affordable housing. Under the provinces housing formula, rent geared to income also helps with affordability, where the renter pays 30% of the their income on rent, and the province pays the difference, similar to rent subsidy formula. I understand that the City has a small rent support fund, that I feel must be used in emergencies and in collaboration with LHA. Lethbridge Housing is the authorized provincial agent - contracted to support housing for lower-income adults, families or seniors. We also have provincial taxpayer support residents in congregated housing styles like Green Acres, Good Samaritan and similar agencies or care homes? The city has a role in land development for housing development, that is designated for subsidizing housing builds. Other than that, I am not sure what the city can do to contain rental cost or keep housing cost from rising. Rent controls are not a municipal jurisdiction, and would take provincial legislation as renting or landlord rule are under private sector business. The city should not be in the business of owning and maintaining housing, if they are going to contain you taxation costs. An apartment building or complex is a business and if the business does not pay property taxes, those missing tax payment can not helps reduce the tax load on the home owner.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

By definition, affordable housing is housing that costs less than 30% of pre-tax income. Since the market sets housing prices, affordability can be partially addressed through reductions in costs associated with planning, zoning, permitting, infrastructure requirements, and dwelling construction. The City can look at how these factors contribute to housing costs. As with all my answers here, there is no one approach to any of the problems facing us. There may be projects that require the City to advocate to the province for funding, but other projects that may require grants or incentives to spur investment. Lobbying the federal government on mortgage rules is another option. Council can help increase access to housing, including the idea of appropriate housing, by ensuring that it’s addressing all needs and costs across the housing continuum.

Darcy Logan:

If the city is involved, this is more of a zoning and tax question. I do support low-cost zoning (in consultation with the community) and, potentially, tax incentivization to encourage it.

Robin Walker:

I agree with the principle of affordable housing and that the City does play a role. I think the ideal approach could be one that combines a focus on keeping housing costs from getting out of control while subsidizing those who need help to get out of a vulnerable position. One way to address this is through zoning and development. Core areas of our City should include higher density residential (re)development, we should be careful of the costs of urban sprawl, and we should consider more innovative approaches to housing, like tiny home communities, mixed-use developments, and innovative building materials and practices.

Councillor Survey Question 7
What do you think is the best approach to attract businesses to Lethbridge? Direct incentives to specific businesses, paid for by slightly higher taxes, or lower tax rates for all businesses.

Rajko Dodic:

To attract businesses to Lethbridge, you have to first attract the workers and their families to the City. You have to ensure that there are adequate (and well maintained) amenities whether recreational, sporting, cultural, artistic, and the like that would make families want to live and work here. That's the first step. In terms of the employer incentives, the City has given tax deferrals and abatements for a period of time to attract businesses but each case is unique so I would support such programs on a case by case basis.

Nick Paladino:

We try to attract business to increase our tax base, thus reducing the burden for existing residents & business. I believe the improvements to the airport and to the Lethbridge EX are two key developments that will lead to attract new business. Both of these projects were on my list of “needs” going back to my 2017 campaign.

Bill Ginther:

I feel very strongly that providing direct incentives is the way you go, as it’s fair to everyone involved.

Mark Campbell:

We have to let outside businesses know that Lethbridge is not only a great place to have a business but outside of that business, it’s a great place to live. The more businesses we have in Lethbridge along with the residential tax base, the more we can even the tax structure out.

Ryan Wolfe:

There is no appetite amongst businesses to raise taxes. This question implies there are only two options which I do not agree with. Given the question and knowing we can't raise taxes then I guess I would choose the latter.

Kelti Baird:

I think that we don't need to touch the tax rate for businesses in order to attract new businesses here. Instead we need a City Hall that takes an active role in decreasing overregulation of businesses, addresses poor planning decisions from decades past (like a minimum parking requirement and other useless/backwards development policies), and incubates local businesses through our education partners at the University of Lethbridge. Reducing red tape at city hall and helping businesses get up and running with proactive departments for small independent shops will be imperative in stabilizing the local economy for future external pressures. A diverse and local-based economy is more stable than a monocultural global-centric economy by far.

Tim VanderBeek:

I would prefer lower over all tax rates but I could support a direct incentive if the business would bring large scale employment.

Ryan Lepko:

I believe in fairness across the board. I do not believe in tax incentives as the playing field has been tipped in favor to that company, whereas another company may have not received that benefit. It is a sensitive issue and needs to be handled fairly and equitably.

Davey Wiggers:

I think increasing the positive image of the city and reducing its notoriety will change public perceptions. This will automatically make Lethbridge a more attractive place to do business. Add to that the new Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre, a renovated Airport and you will see business being attracted to all that Lethbridge has to offer. A stable regional economy, a skilled workforce, reasonably priced housing, access to world-class tourism destinations like Waterton Park, Writing-On-Stone, the Lethbridge Viaduct and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo jump among many others. Adjusting business taxes isn’t necessary any further than what the provincial government has already done.

Dale Leier:

1. This is where the law of unintended consequences can come back to bite. We are, like it or not, in competition with other communities to attract new businesses. This often means that, to compete, we need to offer some level of incentives. Done correctly, these incentives will help to grow the local economy and float all boats including the businesses already here. Two things we can do in this regard: Be strategic. Work to attract businesses that compliment (i.e. vertically integrate) with the business that are already here. 2. Be fair. Business already here should not be penalized for not needing incentives. Instead, leveraging the presence of our educational institutions to support new business with research, development, skilled workers, and graduates create a win-win for all involved while minimizing distortions to the local economy. 3. Be creative. The City has a great deal of resources at its disposal which can be used as a catalyst to attract investment, financial assistance, and support for start-ups. I propose a group of up to 10 incubators established in partnership with successful businesses from across Canada, to focus on areas of strategic interest. Each of these 10 incubators would have matching Seed Capital Funds for the purpose of leveraging additional funding from public and private sources for market research prototype development, marketing, and growth funding.

Belinda Crowson:

Rather than continually focusing on attracting business to Lethbridge, we need to put more focus on retaining business in Lethbridge (and helping existing Lethbridge businesses expand) and in developing entrepreneurs and businesses from within Lethbridge. If these two groups succeed, then other businesses would by nature be attracted to this community. The City needs to ensure we have the infrastructure that supports these businesses – transportation infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, etc. The City needs to work with partners to help solve problems facing local businesses. Currently, the largest issue is a labour shortage and recruiting skilled workers. The new Council needs to immediately get to work with partners and businesses on looking at solutions in this area. The City also needs to reach out to these businesses and continue ongoing conversations around what barriers these businesses are facing and determine a plan of action to help tackle these barriers (again, in partnerships).

Harold Pereverseff

Marketing Lethbridge as a sustainable market place to prospective business is key. The City needs to keep active in promotion of the City at national and international trade fares, keying upon our infrastructure and the opportunities for business to start and grow in the City. The City needs to promote the City keying on our strong points including improvements to our airport, proximity to the United States Border, excellent road transit routes in all directions of the City. Our availability of workers in the community. The City has to be careful in offering direct incentives or tax breaks as existing businesses could be adversely affected or felt discriminated against.

Shelby MacLeod:

There are a myriad reasons a business would comes open in a community. I am not sure what the best approach would be to attract businesses to Lethbridge - other than a strong business friendly environment with strong customers and employees potential. I think that the city's role is to ensures a safe secure environment. a place that people want to do business, and able maintain that business. Business people will come - as they have a goal of selling a product to a consumer to make an income so they can pay themselves and their staff. Direct incentives, like TRIP may be appropriate for specific business development. Each tax abatement formula is rated on there merit, similar to the tax deferral of Six08 construction and now they are open and operating the city will collect full property taxes on that business. The City has many detailed tax abatement or supports on their website regarding city property tax exemption.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

Right now, focusing on economic recovery and development is key to our city’s future, and core to my platform. We need to continue to make Lethbridge an attractive place to do business. Economic development is business investment attraction, business retention and expansion, and entrepreneurship and innovation, all of which lead to job creation. Economic development, which includes supporting our local businesses in what they need, pays for services and creates a vibrant community, and we need a workforce to attract these opportunities. It’s not just about taxation for business; we need to look at all financial and policy supports. I’m committed to promoting the benefits of doing business in Lethbridge through red tape reduction initiatives, reviewing policies that create artificial barriers to growth, exploring private business opportunities to enhance public services options, and working with local businesses to achieve their goals for recovery, retention, and expansion.

Darcy Logan:

Let's privilege local, even if that requires tax breaks to incentivize districts/areas we need activated. A robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, coupled with a desirable recreational & cultural ecology, should make Lethbridge enticing to corporate investment. We shouldn't be attracting flagship and corporate entities by making concessions to them; let's make investing in Lethbridge so advantageous that they come to us.

Robin Walker:

I believe we would be best served by lower tax rates for locally owned and operated businesses as these are the ones that benefit our community most in how the serve, support, and invest in our community and local economy. Incentives to attract specific businesses may hold some merit, although I would have to investigate further to be able to respond meaningfully to this approach.

Councillor Survey Question 8
Should we defund the police? If yes, what exactly does defunding the police mean to you? If not, what should the City do to address both historical and ongoing injustices?

Rajko Dodic:

No. Defunding the Police means essentially reducing existing policing budgets and reallocating them to non-policing forms of public safety such as social services, youth services and the like. I appreciate that, if the root cause of criminal behavior could be addressed, before that behavior manifests itself, the need for policing would be diminished. If we were to defund the police now, it effectively would become an experiment to see whether, in fact, previously allocated police budget money proved for alternative programs would actually address the issue of escalating crime. It's not something I could support without a lot of credible evidence that defunding and reallocating was more effective then the imperfect system we have now. In terms of addressing historical and ongoing injustices, we as individuals have to address that for ourselves. In terms of policing, on a go forward basis, the training Police undergo has to include a recognition of the historical injustices and those cadets that don't understand or don't acknowledge the existence should not be allowed to move forward in their program.

Nick Paladino:

Absolutely not! Reducing police funding at this time is like asking doctors and nurses to take a pay cut during a pandemic! I just completed a survey for the Police Association and have learned that Lethbridge’s Police Officer-to-population ratio is 172 for 100,000 people. The national average is 202. We need to bring our numbers more in line with the national average.

Bill Ginther:

Defunding is a word that should never be used in the same sentence as policing as they do not go hand in hand. Creating efficiencies and careful fund and resource allocation are the two key tenants of a police budget…

Mark Campbell:

No we shouldn’t be defunding the police but appropriating money in the right place. The city has a police commission to address any injustices and there is a process the police is required to use to follow through with all kinds of issues. I have faith in the Police Chief Mehdisadeh that he will continue to address all issues as they arise.

Ryan Wolfe:

Don't defund the police. I have met with the Chief, the union and many officers. Morale is low. I am convinced there is no desire to protect officers who do not follow the rules. These are professionals who work very hard to earn our trust. They are asked to do an exceedingly difficult job. So, we need to hold those responsible when they show poor judgement. WE need to restore funding to the police and work with them.

Kelti Baird:

Not right away. We need to have adequate social support in place to relieve the police of social wellbeing or mental health burdens that they were never intended to address. City Council cannot directly control how our police services operate, but we do have some control over the amount of money that is used for community policing. I would like to see stronger reporting and more transparency from our police services about their distribution of funding and the efficacy of their programs. Prove to me the program works and I will vote to fund it. However, blindly throwing money at the police with no way to measure the success of a program doesn't work either. In terms of addressing historical and ongoing injustices, our police need to be held to the highest standard of service to our community (same for public elected officials, and senior city administrators in my opinion). Recognizing that our police service needs a cultural shift, I would be interested in finding a way to assess if all members of our police services are worthy of their position, or if they may be better on some other career path.

Tim VanderBeek:

No, unfortunately we will always need the police. There needs to be an acknowledgement of past transgressions and there needs to be training and policies to deal with it.

Ryan Lepko:

No. I do not know what maintaining funding to the police service has to do with any historical and ongoing injustices that may still exist?

Davey Wiggers:

No. Defunding police services is the most nonsensical notion ever considered. The LPS budget needs to be restored. The Police Commission should be more proactive in calling the Chief and the service to account. Our Solicitor General should not need to be threatening to dissolve the force. More education & training for our constables, combined with available & deployable mental health resources, should address both real & perceived injustices.

Dale Leier:

Our ability to keep families and professionals living here, as well as to attract people, businesses, and investment, depends on the perception that Lethbridge is a safe community. This means ensuring our police are adequately fund so that the appropriate levels of qualified staffing, training, equipment, and other resources are readily available. Often this is not directly connected to the overall amount of funding provided. Therefore, it is incumbent on the City to look at not only how much funding is given, but also how it is being spent. Defunding can mean different things to different people. To me, it means re-focusing our spending. I propose a 3-step process to deal with all the issues we have been facing including injustices. 1. We not only restore the $1.0 million that was cut from the budget, we also add an $500k per year for each of the next 4 years. This will be more than sufficient to ensure we don’t have any future resourcing issues. 2. We have a complete review of all police programs with a view to ensuring we are going about these services in the most effective and efficient means possible and consistent with our desired outcomes. 3. Using some of the additional funds to ensure our recruitment, training, and corporate culture are keeping in line with ever evolving demands being placed on law enforcement.

Belinda Crowson:

As I noted above when I discussed Priority Based Budgeting, we need to ensure priority areas of our community are funded. As a result of reduced funding over the past years and even decades into areas such as mental health and social programs, the police have been required to do community work outside of their mandate and expertise. In order to support our community and police force, it is necessary to re-invest in social programs in our community. This needs to be done by all orders of government. As the KPMG report made abundantly clear, Lethbridge is significantly underfunding its role in this matter, providing its CSD department five times less per capita than other reviewed communities. This underfunding has contributed to many of the problems our community are facing and has caused incredible strains on the police department. It has also contributed to creating many problems for people in our community with regards to employment, housing, that are affecting the entire community. Specifically related to the police, please see my answer to the question below. Better governance and oversight will support both the police and the community. Better governance and oversight must include bringing more voices to the table so that historical and ongoing injustices can be addressed and appropriate measures put into place to ensure they do not happen moving ahead.

Harold Pereverseff

We should not defund the police. The police are vital to the well being of our community. Yes, there have been "historical and perhaps ongoing injustices" with our Lethbridge Police Services. The City should ensure that the Police Department is operated in an efficient manner with checks and balances in place. Adequate and focused training of members is important and needs to be ongoing. Appropriate review procedures need to be in place and updated accordingly the City must ensure that adequate funding is in place to provide for these areas of need. The City should have 2 Council members appointed to the Police Commission, The LPS should attend all City Council and Community Issues meeting to ensure that first hand and current information and questions can be asked or shared with Council.

Shelby MacLeod:

We should not de-fund the police. The slogan was a nice cliche that people gravitated to during the Trump governance era in USA. I would suspect many do not mean defunding the police, rather they really want a reallocation or a new program investment of a specific budget line items moved to another program line on the policing budget. It's not totally the City's role to solve the historical injustices of our forefathers and people's actions with their vision to education. I believe the City is moving forward with work and an inclusive vision on reconciliations awareness, by adopted the official greeting OKI. Reconciliation Lethbridge must continue sharing their stories, the truth and their excellent information that fosters a better understanding, and a climate of acceptance and tolerance. The new Reconciliation Ally Toolkit, is an excellent document with has easy to follow links and steps to relationship building and learn about 20,000 people who live near and with us. Thankfully, the work has started, is being done and must continue.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

The Police Commission needs to ensure that it is doing everything in its power to provide safe, efficient police-related services in our city and Council needs to fund it appropriately. I support providing the Lethbridge Police Commission and our police services with the resources necessary to deliver the services we are asking them to provide. I am also committed to holding the Police Commission accountable for their oversight of Lethbridge Police Service and its budget. Supporting respectful, professional, and ethical policing in our community is core to my platform. The Police Commission also needs to lead the work with communities that face historical and ongoing injustices starting with listening to these communities and understanding how policing policies can target individuals because of their race, gender, sex, ethnicity, and social condition. They can then review and amend those policies to ensure that policing is about safety and not power.

Darcy Logan:

It is difficult to talk about de-funding the police when their budget was cut. I don't think the reduction of the Police Budget was de-funding as the term is commonly understood (intentionally re-allocating money spent on a constabulary toward things like social work and mental health), but a more pragmatic act of desperation after UCP municipal funding cuts. I support integrating police with other social services to provide a more holistic service delivery model, but the budget reduction wasn't about this. It just decreased service delivery without providing anything else. If the police budget was at its regular level of funding, I would be open to conversations around hybrid delivery models. I support Reconciliation initiatives. This includes place-making and working towards a Blackfoot Cultural Centre as a permanent site to share the stories of Alberta's first people.

Robin Walker:

It is my understanding that the police service has already seen their budget reduced by $1m and that another reduction is planned. I do believe that adequate funding for our police service is important, however it would be good to review exactly what role police services play in our community and whether or not citizens would be better served by coordinated approaches to some issues, like having mental health professionals and/or social workers being the primary respondents (with police support where appropriate) to requests for wellness checks, domestic disputes, and other issues where police aren't necessarily the best equipped to always provide for the best outcomes.

Councillor Survey Question 9
The Lethbridge Police Service has courted controversy in the last few days, from their viral arrest of a stormtrooper on Star Wars Day to their coordinated surveillance of a provincial MLA, all while the crime rate and police response times remain among the highest in the country. These concerns are so significant that the current provincial government has threatened to dissolve the force. What, if any, reforms would you advocate for?

Rajko Dodic:

When I heard the Provincial announcement, I treated that as political theatre on the part of the Minister in question and not something they were seriously considering. I am satisfied in that belief as nothing further has been said about it. The actual number of police officers involved in the two incidents mentioned are small compared to the size of the force which is not to say that we should ignore it but also not to conclude that there is a systemic problem. In terms of reform, I am going to accede to the Law Enforcement Review Board to address problems that arise. Tha may seem like a cop out (pun not intended) on my part but City Council doesn't control the Police; that oversight is with the Police Commission. The City's role is to approve (or not) their budget.

Nick Paladino:

Because of the above I believe the police are under enormous pressure these days. I also believe much of the problem stems from a few “bad apples”. The vast majority of the force is made up of upstanding men and women and I have nothing but respect for them. I’m confident that the new Police Chief (and commission) will turn things around.

Bill Ginther:

I feel that sensitivity training and common sense need to be instilled into all officers, especially those on the best/patrol. I also feel that for the provincial government to threaten to dissolve the service, is grandstanding at best and has no place in any discussions around police funding which is within the municipal government’s jurisdiction.

Mark Campbell:

The Police Chief has written a comprehensive report to address those concerns and he along with the Police Commission will continue to monitor all issues.

Ryan Wolfe:

There is a lot of work going on right now to address these concerns. The Chief is actively engaged in efforts to address these concerns. Again, council is not all powerful and change takes time. I am in favour of keeping the current chief accountable and working to make sure we are making progress.

Kelti Baird:

Again, this becomes an issue of jurisdiction between what City Council can and cannot affect. I understand and empathize with frustrations about our police services, which have been ongoing for many years now. Lethbridge deserves the absolute highest level of professionalism and service from our law enforcement personnel and many feel we are not receiving the care we are due. That being said, the patrol officers are also not to blame for a broken system (they are definitely to blame if, as stated in your question, they are abusing power or breaking the law) and so we will need to address the policing system in Lethbridge. This is easier to achieve if we have more transparency and reporting from our Police Service, something I think previous councils have let slip to the detriment of our community over the past few decades.

Tim VanderBeek:

I believe that there needs to be a change in the culture within the service. I think there needs to be some civilian oversight of the disciplinary process.

Ryan Lepko:

None of these issues have been resolved and to make a judgement statement about reforms or changes, would be improper and inappropriate.

Davey Wiggers:

I believe that we live in a highly charged and politically divided society. Social media can cause scenarios to go viral. Scenarios which have no positive contribution to society. Disposing of a bushel of apples for the sake of some rotten ones is never a good policy. As mentioned in the previous question, we need a proactive Police Commission, not a reactive one.

Dale Leier:

I am not a law-enforcement professional, nor have I ever been involved with a police commission or other oversight body. I do know that the police do have a very difficult job to carry out, often under the most extreme circumstances. We have all had personal experiences, or are aware of those by family members, co-workers, or acquaintance with various law enforcement agencies for any number of reasons. Those experiences can be very positive or negative but, more often than not, it seems the attitude of the officers comes into play more than any other factor. As we are also all aware, you can’t please everyone no matter how hard you try. This is truly the case with law enforcement. Nobody will ever be 100% satisfied but we can certainly strive for improvement. This is where I believe adding some funding to help build a more positive and responsive organizational culture would be a wise investment. Just think how much more effective and efficient the police can be if they have the public working with them instead of harboring resentment because of a few bad apples. Otherwise, if we can’t turn this ship towards a better future, we may have to look at hiring the RCMP to do the policing instead. If personal experience is any guide, I cannot recall a single negative experience with the RCMP. I wish I could say the same about the municipal police I have interacted with in various cities across Canada. We need the police. Let us make sure they have the resources they need to give us the services we need.

Belinda Crowson:

There are several things which need to be done, both by Council and by Council representatives on the Police Commission. 1. Develop a new Lethbridge Police Commission bylaw which, among other things, has a mechanism for removing police commissioners for cause and which ensures that Council will review Police Commission policies, both to ensure that necessary policies exist and that the policies are being followed. 2. Ensure the Lethbridge Police Commission is following the Alberta Police Act by holding the Commission to its required commitment to bring forward an Annual Plan to Council, with concurrent budget information and an annual report of the year prior. 3. Ensure the Lethbridge Police Commission develops and follows a Strategic Plan. The Commission must lead the development of the plan with the involvement of LPS and the public. The Strategic Plan cannot be created by the LPS and then merely approved by the Commission. It has to be done in a thorough manner with a great deal of public consultation and conversation. These are just the beginning steps which have to be undertaken by the new Council. Throughout the process of rewriting the bylaw and of the Commission’s work on their Annual Plan and Strategic Plan, community conversation, discussions and debates will take place which will help guide future work, rebuild public support for LPS, hold all leadership accountable, and rebuilt the trust LPS members have in their leaders and institution.

Harold Pereverseff

The identified instances involved a small number of LPS Officers, and truly there were indiscretions (in my opinion). Police Officers are not flawless and indeed training and direction is required in all respects. Our new police Chief has only but gotten his feet wet, so to speak, he appears on the right track, and he appears to have the officers in line with his direction. Truly the Provincial Government has taken notice of the deficiencies of LPS. As a Councillor I am certainly concerned, however I am also wanting to be realistic and fair in reviewing how the LPS addresses the Provincial Government. As a Councillor, I would advocate for non-budgetary reduction of LPS and for the growth of our Police Service to the standard of Canada's national average. (Currently we have 15% fewer officers than other jurisdictions in Canada with few exceptions).

Shelby MacLeod:

Sadly, you are correct the Lethbridge Police Service has been mentioned in new story's or on viral media regarding arrest issues of the Star Wars storm trooper promotion, and the unauthorized surveillance of our local MLA. I'm not sure there is a correlation of those items had an affect on the crime rate or police response times. Yes, the crime rate is always a concern. I believe that Chief Mehdizadeh and his policing Team are working on all policing concerns past and future. I do not believe the provincial government will dissolve the Lethbridge Police force, as the Lethbridge Police Commission and Chief Mehdizadeh are working hard to strengthen their strategic vision to address or resolve previous concerns. I believe with Councils support the service will be well positioned to deliver sustainable policing for the residents if Lethbridge.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

An Action Plan has been submitted by the Lethbridge Police Services to the Provincial Government. I will commit to holding the Lethbridge Police Commission accountable and reporting back on that Action Plan. Lethbridge City Council does not manage police services in our city. That’s the role of the Police Commission. The Commission submits an operating budget request to Council, Council determines how much funding to provide the Lethbridge Police Commission, and the Commission allocates dollars based on the Service’s need. I would also like to see a Police Commission built around a skills matrix with input from members of police services, as well as training for new Commission members. Other boards in our community do this, we need to ensure we’re doing it with our Police Commission as well. Further to that, I would support regular meetings with members of City Council, the Police Commission, and members of the Lethbridge Police Association so Council can learn directly from officers about challenges going on in our community. I firmly believe in opening lines of communication.

Darcy Logan:

There are so many principled men & women with the LPS, but there seems to be a small endemic circle of toxic behaviour. This needs to be rooted out, and I believe that the Chief is committed to this. We need to maintain a vociferous and active Police Commission, and encourage a culture at the LPS service that reports breaches like this. These types of statistics are always alarming, and our high crime severity index rating is based primarily on property, not violent, crime (and it is dropping!). It is also important to keep in perspective that the crime severity index statistics are misleading, as they were sampled from communities with municipal police forces, not ones that have contracted the RCMP as their constabulary. If you took this into consideration, we wouldn't rank as poorly. We need transparency and accountability, and to support a culture within the LPS that discourages protectionism.

Robin Walker:

I believe my previous response partially addresses this issue. In addition to that I would advocate for cultural sensitivity training, revised performance reviews, and internal cultural reform.

Councillor Survey Question 10
While the concept of a secret ballot is essential, many of our supporters have told us that they’d like to know the political alignment of their candidates. So, if - and only if - you feel comfortable saying so, who are you voting for for Mayor and why, and if you are affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties, which ones and why?

Rajko Dodic:

Party politics has no role in Municipal Politics. Unfortunately, we have a Federal and Provincial system of Government where governing party members walk in lock step with their leader. Very rarely do you see an elected official break with their leader. On a municipal Council, you would not want a group to vote as a bloc or slate on issues but rather vote their own conscience on each and every issue irrespective of what their position may be if they are involved with a particular Provincial or Federal party that has a particular view on the issue in question. So in specific reply to the question: I have no particular affiliation with any party. I vote for the person, not the party both Federally and Provincially and thus, from time to time, I have voted for different parties. My vote for Mayor will remain private; I won't even tell my wife.

Nick Paladino:

I prefer not to declare who I’m voting for at this point. And I am absolutely not affiliated with any provincial or federal political party.

Bill Ginther:

I’ll be voting for Blaine Hyggen has he has the best handle of civic administration and has the heart needed to do the job. I’m not affiliated with any political party m, federal or provincial.

Mark Campbell:

The great part about being in municipal government is that there are no political ties. We have to work with any party that is in government provincially or federally. I don’t align myself with any particular party. And I won’ reveal who I’m voting for but whoever gets in and if I’m re-elected I will look forward to working with that person.

Ryan Wolfe:

Kelti Baird:

I have already voted for my choices for the Municipal election, and in order to not sway votes I will not say here who I voted for, but as a progressive woman seeking office it should be fairly evident who may have attracted my vote. I am not affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties and have never held a membership to any political party. I also don't vote along party lines, and vote for my representatives based on the individuals running in my riding, and not their party affiliation. I dislike the party system and believe we cannot achieve true democracy under our current party system. I'm in favour of abolishing political parties at both the provincial and federal level, which is why I also believe party politics has absolutely no place in City Council chambers.

Tim VanderBeek:

I believe that people should pick the candidate they best feel could do the job and not be influenced by another political figure. So, I will not say whom I will be voting for. I have never belonged to any political party.

Ryan Lepko:

I am a believer in smaller government is better government. So whatever political affiliation box that puts me in, you can put me in that box then.

Davey Wiggers:

To the first part of the question, I will not answer. Not for any reason of allegiance, but if I am fortunate enough to be elected, I will need to work with the Mayor, whomever that may be. I don’t see potentially poisoning that relationship before it ever begins, being helpful. To the second part of the question. One of my volunteer roles is the VP Policy for the UCP for Lethbridge West. Why? Because I’m a policy geek. The core values that I hold, I contributed by sculpting them into the new party’s founding policy documents. Call it wanting to leave a legacy for my children. That if my grandchildren are ever asked what I did for society, they can be proud to say that their grandfather stood up for what he believed in. My Mother’s Father was an active member of the communist party back in the old country. I never knew him, he passed months before I was born. I was told that besides being a master carpenter, he was a great man, who stood up for what he believed in. That is more important than anywhere you might find yourself on the political spectrum. Far too much is made of political allegiances. The dangers it imposes on municipal politics is one of the reasons that Lethbridge City Council abandoned party politics in council elections sometime after WWII. If elected to council, I will represent based on my strengths, for everyone. The strength first and foremost among them, is my ability & drive to study all facets of an issue, before passing judgment.

Dale Leier:

This is a question I am happy to address. I have already voted and my choice for Mayor was easy: Blaine Hyggen. From the very beginning I recognized that Lethbridge has taken a few wrong turns. Now that we have crossed the threshold of 100,000 population, we have reached a turning point. The old ways of thinking that have brought us this far will no longer work if we wish to keep moving forward. This is exactly the right time for a new Captain at the helm. When many of my friends, family and local business suggested I consider running for council, I found that many were impressed with Blaine’s willingness to stand up for his principles even if it meant bucking the trend. As a result, I took a closer look at his candidacy for Mayor and reached out to see if we could work together. To my great relief, I was pleased to see that while we agreed on 90% of the issues, we could maturely and respectfully debate and discuss the other 10%. The reason for this easiness is because of mutual respect. Blaine listens and he cares not only about what you think but why. After considering the other Mayoral candidates, all of whom have their strengths, there is no doubt in my mind Blaine is the Captain we need in these difficult times. I am not affiliated with any political party at the Federal or Provincial level at this time. None have the right mix of policies and personalities that would make me comfortable supporting. Personally, I tend to lean to the right on fiscal issues and to the left on social issues, being fairly judiciousness as appropriate.

Belinda Crowson:

As with so many residents, I watch all of the forums carefully, track the promises made by the six mayoral candidates and am determining for myself which mayor has both the experience for the job, best understands the role and has the personality to help lead this community forward. Just was you no doubt are, for each candidate I am asking several questions: Who will truly represent this entire community? Who will be able to effectively and professionally ensure all diverse opinions are heard and respected? Who will bring the balance that the position needs? Once I can answer these questions to my own satisfaction, then I will know who I want to vote for as mayor. I have never had a membership in any provincial or federal political party. Indeed, one of the things I most appreciate about municipal politics is the lack of parties and the lack of need to follow a party line but to instead make the best possible decisions based on the data for the greatest number of Lethbridge residents. I have signed the AUMA Keep Politics Local pledge and think we need to work to keep provincial and federal politics, and political parties, out of municipal politics

Harold Pereverseff

I am voting for Blaine Hyggen for Mayor. I am a Conservative.

Shelby MacLeod:

My political alignment is good governance and strong policy vision as your candidates. Sorry I will not divulge who I am voting for for Mayor, secret ballot privilege. I am not affiliated with any provincial or federal political party, as I am a proponent of good governance not a party stance. All decisions must work for the taxpayer of Lethbridge and not any party allegiance. My vote will based on information, data, and logic.

Jenn Schmidt-Rempel:

You are correct, the ballot is a secret. If you elect me to City Council, I need to be able to work openly and effectively with all of Council for the betterment of our city. Naming names here doesn’t get any of us off to a good start! The great thing about elections is that campaigns are an expression of ideas, and it’s up to you, the voter, to vote for those ideas. You need to vote for the people you believe will do the best job representing the broad views our community.

Darcy Logan:

I am not a member of any party; I would love other candidates to disclose this as well. I also do not believe it is ethical for me, as a running candidate, to publicly endorse any municipal candidates. Let their records and platforms speak for themselves. That being said, I am concerned with the distasteful seepage of provincial partisan politics into this election, and the lack of transparency around it. For decades, under the other parties on both sides of the political spectrum, local politics was predominately non-partisan. The Kenney government altered legislation to change this. I will say this: there is real gravity to our municipal election on October 18. We may be tasked with choosing between a reactionary & regressive future, or one that champions for progress & positive change. Whether or not I am one of your preferred candidates, please use care and discernment at the polling station. Choose to heal divisions instead of driving wedges. Push for building bridges, rather than supporting partitions. Let's Love Lethbridge and forge a future we can be proud of. Let's encourage hard work & optimism.

Robin Walker:

In all honesty I am as yet undecided on the mayoral candidate I will be voting for. I believe we need a Mayor that will work with all Council members to achieve a vision of Lethbridge that serves all its residents, and that does not fuel divisiveness or continuation of the social issues that seem to have become worse over the previous term instead of better. I am not affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties and in the past I have voted for conservative, liberal, ndp, and green party candidates depending on what issues I thought were important during each election and which candidates I thought would best represent our community provincially and federally.

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Councillor Survey

Councillor Survey Question 1 What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role of a Councillor and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role as a Councillor?

Councillor Survey Question 2 What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Lethbridge are, and how would you approach being an elected representative?

Councillor Survey Question 3 What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the City does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?

Councillor Survey Question 4 Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Councillor Survey Question 7 What do you think is the best approach to attract businesses to Lethbridge? Direct incentives to specific businesses, paid for by slightly higher taxes, or lower tax rates for all businesses.

Councillor Survey Question 8 Should we defund the police? If yes, what exactly does defunding the police mean to you? If not, what should the City do to address both historical and ongoing injustices?

Councillor Survey Question 1
What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role of a Councillor and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role as a Councillor?

Councillor Survey Question 2
What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Lethbridge are, and how would you approach being an elected representative?

Councillor Survey Question 3
What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the City does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?

Councillor Survey Question 4
Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Councillor Survey Question 7
What do you think is the best approach to attract businesses to Lethbridge? Direct incentives to specific businesses, paid for by slightly higher taxes, or lower tax rates for all businesses.

Councillor Survey Question 8
Should we defund the police? If yes, what exactly does defunding the police mean to you? If not, what should the City do to address both historical and ongoing injustices?