Councillor Survey Question 3

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: