Lethbridge Minute: Police Debates, Population Stagnates, and Third Bridge Blues

Lethbridge Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Lethbridge politics

This Week In Lethbridge:

• There is only one meeting scheduled this week. The Governance Standing Policy Committee meets on Thursday at 1:30 pm.
  
  
• During the meeting, Council will consider cancelling the 2022 census, citing funding issues, as well as decide whether or not to approve the new position of Integrity Commissioner.
  
  
• With classes moving primarily online, and with a potential strike looming, students at the University of Lethbridge are demanding a refund for non-essential fees, including the cost of the UPass - a mandatory transit membership. With tuition rising year after year, should students really be required to pay for unnecessary fees, especially a transit pass, now that they aren't even going to campus? It’s one thing to encourage students to take public transit during the school year, but to mandate it when they’re taking classes from home is ridiculous.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• Lethbridgians better have some extra cash lying around - at least that’s the message coming from City Hall if residents expect a new and much-needed third river crossing to ever be built. The initial numbers don’t look good, especially considering these figures will probably rise in the future. As it stands now, the construction of a third bridge is estimated to require raising municipal taxes by between 14% and 22%!
  
  
• The National Police Federation was in Lethbridge on Wednesday, drumming up support for the union's well-funded "Keep Alberta RCMP" tour. With the Province currently conducting stakeholder engagement on the topic, and with plans to launch a public survey soon, do you support the notion of a Provincial police force? Make sure to let us know!
  
  
• Statistics Canada’s Annual Demographic Estimates paint a not-so-rosy picture of the City of Lethbridge. Between July 2020 and July 2021, the city’s population grew by only 1,153 people, the smallest annual increase in 20 years. With the right ideas and policies, we believe Lethbridge can turn this around. Inflation is hitting residents hard, but it is never too late for Council to trim the fat, cut costs, and attract more people to the area.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Lethbridge doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Lethbridgian knows what's really going on at City Hall.