Election Survey 2025 - Mayoral Candidates

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I bring a combination of hands-on municipal leadership and decades of business experience to the role. For the past 12 years, I’ve served on Council with the recent 4 years as Mayor. I’ve worked closely with council, city staff, and the community to move key initiatives forward and address local challenges. Before that, I spent 30 years owning and operating several businesses in Lethbridge, which taught me how to manage budgets responsibly, solve problems under pressure, and make decisions that balance long-term vision with practical outcomes. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of both the needs of residents and the realities of running an organization, which I will continue to apply to ensure our city grows responsibly and thrives for everyone.

Ryan Mennie: Thank you for the question. I believe the role of Mayor requires a unique combination of practical experience, a deep understanding of our community, and the ability to lead and communicate effectively. I am the only candidate who brings all three of these to the table. My relevant work experience is built on three pillars: 1. Proven Municipal Leadership: Two Terms as a City Councillor This is the most critical experience. I have two full terms of direct, hands-on experience doing the actual job of governing a city. That's where I learned to scrutinize multi-million dollar budgets, navigate the complexities of municipal law, and deliver major infrastructure projects on time and on budget. I am ready to lead from day one because I have done this work before. There will be no on-the-job training. 2. Front-Line Community Engagement: My Career in Lethbridge Radio A Mayor's most important job is to listen. My career in radio, especially on the morning show, was a daily conversation with the people of this city. I spent years hearing directly from you about your hopes, your frustrations, and your ideas. That experience taught me how to connect with and understand the true pulse of our community, a skill that has been sorely lacking at City Hall. 3. Economic & Business Development: My Work at Lethbridge Polytechnic To fix our economy, a Mayor needs to understand it. My role as a project facilitator at Lethbridge Polytechnic gave me a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities facing our local businesses. I worked directly with companies on workforce development and reskilling. This experience will be invaluable as I lead the charge to cut red tape and champion a "Lethbridge First" strategy to attract new industry and support our local job creators. How These Skills Will Help Me These experiences are not just items on a resume; they are the tools I will use to get our city back on track. My council experience gives me the competence to fix the fiscal mismanagement and end the $50 million in budget overruns. My communication experience gives me the ability to unite our community and restore a culture of listening and respect to the Mayor's office. My economic development experience gives me the real-world knowledge to lead our city out of the current affordability crisis. Combined with my deep roots as someone who was raised here and chose to return to raise my family, I have the proven skills and the personal commitment to be the effective, common-sense Mayor that Lethbridge needs right now.

Michael Petrakis: Over 15 years of entrepreneurship, teamwork, and systems design have taught me how to align people, resources, and vision. After managing and co-owning multiple tourism and hospitality businesses in Crete, Greece, I shifted my focus toward city systems design, civic ethics, and regenerative local economics. My experience blends real-world management with a decade of independent research in civic infrastructure, democratic innovation, and policy coherence. I’ve shown how: Lethbridge loses roughly $1 billion annually through the Unemployment Cost Burden (UCB) — it costs four times more to manage crises than to resolve them directly. That $1 billion reflects the hidden cost of untreated unemployment and underemployment — a cost we can reverse through purposeful local enterprise investment. Low voter turnout stems not from apathy but from structural disenfranchisement — each part-time councillor represents about 12,000 citizens, causing civic overload similar to what teachers experience in overcrowded classrooms. To address this, I’ve developed frameworks like the Citizens’ Inquiry Office, the 7% Fair Tax Charter, and the Community Solutions Portfolio — practical blueprints for transparent, efficient, and compassionate governance that can restore prosperity and trust.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: The biggest issues affecting Lethbridge continue to be public safety, physician recruitment, housing, and economic development. Over the past four years, these have been my priorities as mayor, and I believe consistent focus on them is key to the city’s growth and well-being. I will continue to address public safety by working closely with community partners and law enforcement to create a safer environment for everyone. Physician recruitment remains critical, and I will keep collaborating with health authorities and local stakeholders to bring and retain doctors in our community. Housing is a growing need, and I will continue to support initiatives that expand affordable and diverse options. For economic development, I will maintain strong partnerships with local businesses and regional organizations to attract investment, foster job creation, and support sustainable growth. My approach is rooted in ongoing collaboration with residents, businesses, and other levels of government to ensure that solutions are effective and lasting.

Ryan Mennie: There are many, but the issues facing Lethbridge are interconnected, and all stem from a single root problem: a crisis of leadership and a fundamental lack of fiscal accountability at City Hall. My approach is to tackle the root cause first, which then allows us to solve the symptoms. Here are the biggest issues and my plan to address them: 1. The Crisis of Leadership and Fiscal Accountability The Issue: The current administration has overseen a breakdown in public trust. We've seen nearly $50 million in budget overruns, insider deals like the VisitLethbridge.com arena deal, a failure to listen to residents on major planning decisions, and a resistance to transparency. This mismanagement has created a "fiscal time bomb" by draining our city's savings to hide their mistakes, guaranteeing a massive tax hike is on the way. My Approach: I will bring a new era of accountability to City Hall, starting on day one. This includes championing the creation of our city's first-ever independent Integrity Commissioner, introducing a public Lobbyist Registry, and creating a Public Project Dashboard so taxpayers can track where their money is going in real-time. 2. The Affordability Crisis for Families and Businesses The Issue: This is the direct result of the leadership crisis. It shows up as a 20% cumulative tax hike in just four years, the loss of over 4,000 manufacturing jobs, and a heartbreaking 40% increase in food bank use. Our city is becoming unaffordable for families, seniors, and the businesses that employ them. My Approach: We tackle this with a two-pronged strategy. First, we stop the waste at City Hall to halt the unsustainable tax hikes. Second, I will be our city's chief economic champion, leading the charge to cut red tape and attract new industry to grow our business tax base, which provides long-term, sustainable relief for homeowners. 3. The Erosion of Public Safety and a Lack of Future Planning The Issue: When a city is poorly managed, quality of life suffers. Residents and businesses feel less safe in our downtown and impacted neighbourhoods, and critical infrastructure projects, like the third bridge, are endlessly delayed with no real plan. My Approach: My plan for public safety is compassion with clear boundaries. We will empower our police to enforce the law against public disorder and crime, while I lead the critical collaboration with the Province to get the supportive housing and treatment solutions we need. For our future, I will bring the experienced leadership needed to get critical projects like the third bridge "shovel-ready" and to relentlessly fight for the provincial and federal funding to finally get it built. By fixing the leadership problem first, we can then fix our budget, our economy, and our community. That is my commitment

Michael Petrakis: Our crises — housing, addiction, taxation, food insecurity, and crime — are connected symptoms of systemic disconnection. The root cause is underrepresentation and reactive governance. My approach begins with structural renewal: tripling public representation through Ward Fellows and Community Wisdom Councils across 13 key sectors such as housing, health, and business, ensuring citizens are continuously heard. Next, we must redirect fiscal flow through the 7% Fair Tax Charter, which cuts household tax burdens in half while adding $160 million in verified local revenue. With these resources, we can invest directly in purpose-driven employment, regenerative housing, and healing industries — addressing root causes instead of managing symptoms.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: The role of municipal government is to provide essential services, maintain infrastructure, and create the conditions for a safe, vibrant, and thriving community. I believe we are on the right path as a city, but there is always more work to be done. As mayor, I will continue the work we have started, ensuring we focus on delivering core services effectively while finding efficiencies wherever possible. We must continue to challenge the city manager and administration to pursue cost-saving initiatives and operate responsibly with taxpayer dollars. By doing so, we can maintain high-quality services while keeping our community sustainable and well-managed.

Ryan Mennie: This gets to the very core of my philosophy on leadership and good governance that I've been passionate about sharing during this campaign. The fundamental role of a municipal government is to deliver essential, core services reliably and affordably. These are the non-negotiable responsibilities that taxpayers expect and deserve in return for their hard-earned money. These core services are: Public Safety: Well-funded police and fire services that keep our community safe. Essential Infrastructure: Clean water, reliable sewer systems, and properly maintained roads. Community Services: Things like waste collection, parks, and basic recreation that ensure a good quality of life. To answer your second question: I don't believe the issue is necessarily that the City does too many things, but that it has lost its focus on doing the most important things well. When City Hall oversees nearly $50 million in budget overruns on just a few major projects, it means there's less money and attention for the basics, like paving our roads, clearing our snow, or ensuring public safety. When basic services are neglected while property taxes are simultaneously climbing by over 20% in a single term, it's a clear sign that priorities have become misaligned. My "back to basics" approach is simple: master our core responsibilities first. By ensuring our budget is managed with discipline and our essential services are delivered with excellence, we create the strong, stable foundation needed to support the quality of life and economic growth that makes Lethbridge a great place to live. That's the common-sense leadership I will bring to the Mayor's office

Michael Petrakis: The role of a municipal government is to create the conditions for collective wellbeing and sustainable prosperity. It should neither overreach into private life nor retreat from public responsibility. The City often does too much reactively and not enough proactively. By adopting preventative governance — guided by transparency, measurable outcomes, and public verification systems — we can shift from crisis management to civic foresight.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: Property taxes in Lethbridge are competitive with other communities of similar size, but I believe there is more we can do to find cost savings. By continuing to identify efficiencies and manage our resources responsibly, we can maintain a sustainable tax rate that meets the needs of residents without placing an unnecessary burden on them. My goal is to ensure that property taxes remain fair and balanced while supporting the essential services that keep our city strong.

Ryan Mennie: This is the number one reason I started campaigning back in May. They are too high, and they are unsustainable for families, seniors, and businesses. To make matters worse, the massive amount of overspending the last 4 years was partially covered by draining the city's savings accounts (reserves). This has created a "fiscal time bomb," meaning a massive tax hike is already necessary in the next budget just to refill the hole they created.

Michael Petrakis: Too high for working families — too low for multinational corporations. Lethbridge’s current tax model rewards scale over sincerity. The 7% Fair Tax Charter establishes one fair contribution rate for all income earned within city limits, ensuring every household and business contributes proportionally while cutting average household burdens by nearly half. Fairness replaces complexity; transparency replaces frustration.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I believe the City should not increase spending faster than the combined rate of inflation and population growth. Responsible fiscal management means aligning our budget with the community’s growth while living within our means. By carefully prioritizing essential services and finding efficiencies, we can maintain quality services without creating an unsustainable burden on taxpayers.

Ryan Mennie: The City's spending must increase by less than the rate of inflation and population growth. My commitment to ending the waste from major budget overruns will create the efficiencies needed to meet this goal. This is the only responsible path to funding our core services while providing real, sustainable tax relief.

Michael Petrakis: Increase by the rate of inflation and population growth — but transform how we measure spending. Fiscal health isn’t about smaller budgets; it’s about smarter circulation. Through the 7% Fair Tax Charter, the City can generate an additional $160 million annually without raising taxes. Those funds should target regenerative infrastructure — investments that pay for themselves by lowering long-term costs in crime, healthcare, and unemployment. Fiscal responsibility means aligning every dollar with measurable community outcomes. https://www.michaelformayor.love/#circulation

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I believe any surplus at the end of the year should first be evaluated carefully. Maintaining healthy reserves is important for long-term stability, emergency preparedness, and major infrastructure needs, but we also have a responsibility to ensure taxpayers see value for their money. My approach would be to prioritize using surpluses to strengthen reserves and fund strategic projects that reduce future costs, while also exploring opportunities to return savings to residents when it is fiscally prudent. This balanced approach ensures that we remain financially responsible while respecting taxpayers.

Ryan Mennie: A "yes" to either option would be irresponsible. The correct answer depends entirely on the city's overall financial health and the nature of the surplus. First, we need to be honest about the hole we're in. Before we can even talk about a surplus, we have to address the fiscal time bomb the current administration has created. They drained our city's emergency savings (reserves) to cover their nearly $50 million in budget overruns. The first priority for any unexpected surplus must be to begin refilling those critical reserves to protect taxpayers from a future crisis and avoid a massive, forced tax hike. Second, once our reserves are healthy, a surplus should be used for strategic, one-time investments. This means using the money to either pay down city debt (which saves interest costs in the long run) or to fund a one-time capital project, like finally paving a road that's been on the list for years. Using a one-time surplus for a one-time project is fiscally responsible and prevents future tax hikes. Finally, if we find ourselves with large, consistent surpluses year after year, that is a clear sign that the city is over-taxing its residents. In that case, the solution isn't a one-time rebate cheque. The real, sustainable solution is to permanently lower the mill rate. My commitment is to manage the city's finances with the discipline to stop the budget overruns in the first place, which is the only real path to sustainable tax relief.

Michael Petrakis: Returned to taxpayers — but through purpose. I propose a Participatory Dividend model: where surpluses are partially reinvested in visible community projects (infrastructure, small business, education) and partially returned through rebates or reduced service fees. Every dollar should remain traceable to citizen benefit. Fiscal prudence must coexist with human value.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: For me, affordable housing means that residents of all income levels can find safe, suitable, and reasonably priced homes in our community. I believe the City’s role is a combination of supporting lower-income residents through partnerships and targeted programs, while also working to keep overall housing costs manageable. This can be achieved by collaborating with provincial and federal governments, non-profits, and private developers to create diverse housing options and by streamlining planning processes to encourage new development. By focusing on both targeted support and broader market solutions, we can make housing more accessible and sustainable for everyone in Lethbridge.

Ryan Mennie: My approach is a combination of the two, focusing on what the City can actually control. My strategy is to make all housing more affordable while being a strong partner to those who help our most vulnerable. The most effective thing a city can do is get its own house in order. Keep Property Taxes Low: I'll achieve this through disciplined budgeting and responsible financial management across the board. Lowering the tax burden helps every homeowner, especially seniors on fixed incomes. Increase Housing Supply: The best way to combat rising prices is to have more homes available. I will lead the charge to cut red tape and streamline our municipal permitting process to make it faster, cheaper, and more predictable to build new homes in Lethbridge. While the City should not be the main funding source of social housing—that is a provincial responsibility—it has a key role to play. As Mayor, I will be a relentless advocate in Edmonton and Ottawa to ensure Lethbridge gets its fair share of funding for supportive and low-income housing projects, working in lockstep with our expert local housing agencies.

Michael Petrakis: Affordable housing means dignified access to stability without dependence. It requires a hybrid approach: emergency support for those in crisis, combined with price stabilization through innovation. The City can lead by developing regenerative modular housing — carbon-negative, energy-positive homes built from hempcrete and Zeoform that cut construction costs by 40%. These materials can be produced locally, generating jobs while lowering housing costs. When housing is regenerative, it doesn’t just provide shelter — it builds economic resilience and pride.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: Public sector unions play an important role in representing the City’s workforce and ensuring employees have a voice in workplace conditions. I value our employees and the work they do to deliver essential services to residents. At the same time, it is critical that union negotiations align with our commitment to fiscal responsibility. I would approach negotiations with a focus on fairness, transparency, and sustainability—balancing the needs of employees with the need to protect taxpayers. This means working collaboratively with unions while maintaining clear expectations around cost control and long-term financial health.

Ryan Mennie: That is a crucial question, and my answer is shaped by what we all saw happening just outside the Chamber of Commerce forum last night at The Yates. I view our public sector unions as essential partners in delivering the core services our citizens rely on every day. Our city workers—from transit operators to road crews—are the ones on the front lines making our city run. A healthy, respected, and effective city workforce is not a liability; it is one of our greatest assets. The demonstration by our transit union members last night is a perfect example of what happens when that partnership breaks down. They stood out in the cold not because of unreasonable demands, but because they feel they haven't been heard or respected by the current administration for years. That is a failure of leadership. My approach is built on open communication and mutual respect. I am proud to have the public support of the transit union because they know I will be a Mayor who listens. While I am not beholden to any single group, I am deeply committed to treating the people who provide our essential services as the integral partners they are. Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility in Negotiations My commitment to fiscal responsibility is the cornerstone of my entire campaign, and that absolutely extends to union negotiations. My approach to negotiations is straightforward: they will always be conducted in good faith, with the goal of reaching an agreement that is both fair to our valued employees and, crucially, fiscally sustainable for the taxpayers of Lethbridge. Fiscal responsibility is non-negotiable, but I firmly believe that treating our workforce with respect is not at odds with that; it's a key part of it. A city with poor labour relations, low morale, and high staff turnover is an inefficient and poorly run city. By fostering a culture of partnership and respect, we can work together to find efficiencies and deliver the best possible services for the best possible value.

Michael Petrakis: Public sector unions are vital for fair representation and balance — but most tensions stem from economic scarcity, not ideology. Through the 7% Fair Tax Charter and Unemployment Cost Burden reform, we can reclaim hundreds of millions lost to crisis management and redirect them toward livable wages, equitable taxation, and purposeful employment. When the economy is aligned and regenerative, negotiation becomes collaboration. Fiscal responsibility and fair compensation aren’t opposites — they’re partners in prosperity. https://www.michaelformayor.love/#circulation

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: The situation with the Lethbridge and District Exhibition highlighted the importance of strong oversight and accountability for municipally-supported organizations. Going forward, I would ensure that any organization receiving significant city support has clear reporting requirements, transparent financial practices, and regular performance reviews. Strengthening partnerships while setting firm expectations for governance and accountability will help prevent similar issues. By maintaining open communication, requiring timely financial updates, and conducting regular audits where necessary, we can protect taxpayer dollars and ensure these organizations remain sustainable and beneficial to our community.

Ryan Mennie: My approach is to completely overhaul our city's oversight model, moving from passive funding to proactive partnership and strict accountability. The Exhibition's financial crisis was a predictable failure caused by a hands-off approach from City Hall, and it will not happen again under my leadership. The issue with the Lethbridge and District Exhibition wasn't just mismanagement by their board; it was a fundamental failure of oversight by the City. Council approved massive funding without demanding the rigorous, real-time financial reporting necessary for a project of that scale. We were told everything was fine until it was a multi-million dollar crisis. That's not governance, that's negligence. My plan is to treat every major municipally-supported organization like a division of the city, subject to the same standards of transparency and discipline. This will be achieved through two key policy changes: 1. Mandated, Real-Time Reporting For any organization receiving significant city funding, I will champion a new policy requiring regular, detailed financial and operational reports to be presented directly to Council. This includes quarterly budget updates and immediate disclosure of any potential cost overruns. We will catch problems when they are small and manageable, not when they are a catastrophic failure. 2. A Public Accountability Dashboard I will create a simple, online Public Project Dashboard for taxpayers to track the progress of all major city-funded projects and organizations in real-time. This dashboard will clearly show the budget, the timeline, and the key performance metrics for each entity. Transparency will help protect the taxpayer from future mismanagement.

Michael Petrakis: Oversight begins with sunlight. I propose a Public Accountability Framework requiring all municipally supported organizations to publish quarterly financial dashboards and community impact reports. Mandatory independent audits and citizen-auditor participation would turn transparency into standard practice. Oversight isn’t control — it’s continuous clarity.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: Yes, I believe splitting LDE into two focused entities was the right approach. By creating Excite Lethbridge to drive event attraction, planning, and execution, and the Lethbridge and District Agricultural Society to focus on agricultural programming and education, each organization can specialize and deliver better results. This structure allows Excite Lethbridge to actively pursue new events and develop long-term strategies for economic and tourism growth, while LDAS preserves and enhances our community’s agricultural heritage. With both working from the Trade and Convention Centre, the city gains clearer focus, accountability, and the ability to attract opportunities we couldn’t before.

Ryan Mennie: No, the decision to split the Lethbridge and District Exhibition into two separate entities was not the right approach, because the execution has been a complete failure of governance and transparency. While the idea of creating specialized entities might have merit on paper, the way it was handled has only deepened the public's distrust and failed to address the root problems of mismanagement. My concerns are with the "how," not the "what." The entire restructuring process raises serious red flags about accountability and an "insider" culture at City Hall. The governance model was flawed right from the start. Creating a "municipally controlled non-profit" and then placing the City Manager on its board is a fundamental error. The City Manager is Council's employee, responsible for implementing Council's direction. An elected official should be providing oversight on that board, not an administrator. This blurs the lines of accountability and creates a clear conflict of roles. After a multi-million dollar financial crisis that shook public confidence, the solution was to install a former manager of a City-run facility as the new CEO. This doesn't look like a fresh start; it looks like a reshuffling of the same insiders who have been part of the system. It fails to restore public trust and does nothing to change the culture that led to the crisis in the first place. As Mayor, I will fix this broken model. My approach is to ensure that any organization receiving significant taxpayer funding is governed with absolute transparency and is led by the most qualified people, not the most politically connected. That means ensuring that leadership appointments for our key community organizations are made through an open, competitive, and public process. It means establishing clear governance structures where Council provides oversight, and we don't have administrators sitting on boards they are supposed to be managing. This is another clear example of why I am committed to bringing an Integrity Commissioner to our city—to ensure that these kinds of questionable arrangements are a thing of the past.

Michael Petrakis: Partially. Separation can clarify roles, but structure alone doesn’t guarantee integrity. True reform requires an integrated civic reporting system linking performance, transparency, and funding eligibility. A municipally controlled non-profit can only succeed if it operates under open-data principles, measurable outcomes, and community review. Transparency is the new accountability.

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I would extend the Encampment Strategy to operate seven days a week instead of just Monday to Friday. Homelessness and the issues related to encampments do not pause on weekends, and our response shouldn’t either. My preferred approach to homelessness in Lethbridge is a balanced one: combining compassionate supports like housing, outreach, and mental health services with consistent, timely intervention to keep public spaces safe and accessible. Extending hours will ensure we can respond more effectively, connect people to resources when they need them, and maintain a safer, cleaner community for everyone.

Ryan Mennie: My approach is compassion with clear boundaries. The current reactive encampment strategy isn't working. We will move to a zero-tolerance policy for camping in our public parks and on sidewalks, and we will consistently enforce our bylaws to restore public order. At the same time, my focus is the proven 'Housing First' model. As Mayor, my job is to lead the relentless advocacy with the Province to get the supportive housing and treatment facilities that provide a real alternative for those in crisis. This allows our police to focus on their core job: keeping our entire community safe.

Michael Petrakis: Homelessness can’t be solved through displacement; it must be resolved through reintegration, purpose, and care. I would evolve the current strategy into a Housing First + Purpose First model, integrating the Healing Eco-Village framework — transitional micro-communities offering stable shelter, recovery, and paid work pathways. Compassion is not softness; it’s strategy — because every act of early support prevents four future crises and reduces costs citywide. https://www.michaelformayor.love/solutions_portfolio#eco-villages

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I support the idea of a third Oldman River crossing because 60% of residents backed it in the 2021 referendum, and it would improve traffic flow and regional connectivity. However, I do not support moving forward without significant funding from other levels of government. The cost of this project is beyond what municipal taxation can reasonably cover, and I will only support it if we secure provincial and federal contributions to ensure it doesn’t place an unsustainable burden on local taxpayers.

Ryan Mennie: Yes. It's not a "want"... it's a city-wide need. It’s a critical safety lifeline to our hospital for over 43,000 residents and a vital economic artery that keeps our entire city moving. My plan is to fund it by ending the waste at City Hall and securing provincial and federal grants, not by raising your taxes.

Michael Petrakis: I’m not opposed to a third bridge — I’m opposed to unnecessary debt. Before committing $250–300 million and seven years, we can invest $10–40 million to optimize our existing bridges through adaptive, reversible lanes — five inbound in the morning, five outbound in the evening — and smart bottleneck engineering. This can double traffic flow within a year, buying time for funding and planning while creating local jobs. Meanwhile, west-side regenerative industry clusters will reduce commuting needs. The smartest bridge connects opportunity, not just roads. https://www.michaelformayor.love/solutions_portfolio#bridge-portfolio

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I support continuing to study the feasibility of a ward system, but I do not support moving forward at the cost we were told it would take to implement. While a ward system could offer residents more localized representation, it must be financially responsible and practical for our community. Until we find a cost-effective way to implement it, I believe we should maintain the current at-large system while continuing to explore options that balance representation with fiscal responsibility.

Ryan Mennie: Yes, I support implementing a ward system. My reasoning is simple: I believe in respecting the democratic will of the people. In 2021, the City spent thousands of taxpayer dollars on a referendum to ask residents this exact question. A clear majority—55% of you—voted YES for a ward system. The current council then chose to ignore that result. That is a profound disrespect to the voters and a clear example of the accountability problem at City Hall that I am running to fix. A ward system ensures that every part of our growing city, especially rapidly expanding areas, has a dedicated representative who is directly accountable to their local neighbourhood and its unique concerns. As Mayor, I will honour the will of the people. It's time for a City Hall that trusts its citizens.

Michael Petrakis: I support a hybrid ward model — representation that grows organically from community dialogue. We’re managing a $6 billion civic economy with part-time leadership costing less than $1 per resident monthly. For just $2 more per month, we can triple representation through Ward Fellows and the Continuity Council, connecting citizens to City Hall through 13-Sector Wisdom Circles. These circles help residents distill concerns, insights, and agreements into clear questions for Council and the Mayor — ensuring all sectors of life are represented. This requires no provincial policy change — just civic willpower. It’s not bureaucracy — it’s communication infrastructure. When people are heard, they participate. When they participate, democracy heals. https://www.michaelformayor.love/community_template#pillar5

Mayor

1 To Be Elected

Quentin Carlson: No response.

Blaine E. Hyggen: I represent Team Lethbridge and not a provincial or federal party. Municipal government should focus entirely on serving our community. My decisions will always be guided by what is best for Lethbridge residents. I will work with and advocate to all political parties to secure the funding and support our community needs.

Ryan Mennie: No, I am not an active member of any provincial or federal political party, and that is a deliberate choice. My firm belief is that the Mayor's office must be strictly non-partisan. The moment you walk into City Hall, your only team is Team Lethbridge. Party politics must be left at the door. My focus isn't on aligning with a provincial or federal agenda; it's on the common-sense, practical issues that affect our daily lives. There's no conservative or liberal way to fix a pothole, clear our snow, or ensure our streets are safe—there's just the effective way. This is my commitment: I will work collaboratively with any government when it benefits the people of Lethbridge. I will also be a relentless advocate for our city, standing up to any government when its policies harm our community. My loyalty is to Lethbridge, period. My decisions will be based on facts and what's best for our city, not on a directive from a party leader in Edmonton or Ottawa.

Michael Petrakis: I am completely independent and non-partisan. Municipal governance should be guided by conscience, not ideology. My allegiance is to truth, fairness, and the wellbeing of our city — values that belong to everyone. “When representation becomes continuous, democracy becomes alive.”