News profile1. What are your thoughts on city ownership of Saamis Solar, and what direction would you want to see council take with ownership of renewables?
If the CMH is going to be in the business of generating electricity (and I strongly believe we should be) then we need to be using alternate energy sources such as solar and wind. It was right for the City to put its foot in the door to keep this opportunity available. We have the land and we should invest in this project called Saamis Solar, either on our own or as a partner. Always remember that partnerships come with their own issues. If we can afford to go it alone, and I believe we can, then we should do so. There is no risk in investing in electric generating capacity. The demand is constantly rising.
2. What are your thoughts on the future of the energy division, specifically the concept of turning it into a municipally controlled corporation?
Council made the decision not to pursue a municipally controlled corporation (MCC) at their meeting on July 21. I agree with that decision and would oppose any attempt to revisit it. The remaining piece of the puzzle is the RRC (rate review committee). This is the monster with 6 heads that has been deferred to a meeting in the new year. An MCC by another name should smell as foul. This is just another attempt to remove City Council from the decision-making role that they have always played. Humbug! We hire well qualified staff to do the operational investigating and as the board of directors, Council is well positioned to make the governance decisions after receiving their advice.
3. How would you look to balance taxation with the operation costs of running a city, as well as the services provided to residents?
By law, municipalities in Alberta cannot operate with a deficit, the way the provincial and federal government can. Municipalities must always balance the books – expenditures cannot exceed revenue. That doesn’t mean that municipalities cannot incur debt. Debt is a useful means by which municipalities can benefit from infrastructure built today with money that will accrue to the project over several, even many, years. Every business and family incurs debt and that is not the problem; but that debt must be manageable. A family needs a home now, so they take out a mortgage to buy their house today, live in it and raise their children, and pay off the debt over time. Businesses do likewise for various good reasons. Debt servicing costs for municipalities are significantly lower than for most businesses because the risk is low to the lender (municipalities don’t borrow from banks; they borrow from a Crown Corporation, the Municipal Finance Corp). In this way, for example, we can build the water treatment plant today and pay for it over the life of the infrastructure, without imposing an undue burden on any particular generation. Debt servicing is an “operational expense” that the City takes on and must pay for through revenues, including taxation. It is indeed a balancing act.
4. How would you approach economic development and any need to incentivize business to come to Medicine Hat?
Economic development is crucial. We have not seen significant new business/industrial development or population growth in Medicine Hat for about 10 years. Council needs to take on this challenge and be proactive in finding and nurturing opportunities for this kind of growth, while at the same time engaging in business retention and redevelopment. Incentives are an attractive option but come with some legal and practical restrictions. The Aurora cannabis debacle is a case in point. The City was taken advantage of, and the recipient of our incented largesse has disappeared over the horizon with nary a thought for the government or people that they left behind.
5. With the proposed north-side location for a permanent homeless shelter off the table following public concerns, what do you think are the essential priorities that a shelter location must provide? It must be accessible to those who need to use it. It must be well designed and maintained to keep it safe for the users and appropriate for the neighbourhood. All shelter locations need to be well managed so that they and their patrons do not become a nuisance. 6. A lot of focus during this election campaign has been on property taxes in Medicine Hat, though a majority of residents do not own property. What can or should the city be doing to ease cost-of-living issues for those who do not own property, such as renters? The City operates the Medicine Hat Housing Authority. It is important that there are enough rental units of different types to serve the population that needs this service. Requiring new rental builds to provide a number of subsidized units with each construction to be owned and operated by the Housing Authority is an option that should be looked into. 7. What are your thoughts on proposed recreational facilities such as the Southside Outdoor Aquatics Centre and Brier Run Sports Field? How much focus would you want the city to put toward adding recreational facilities?
These recreational facilities are needed and will be well used by all ages. Medicine Hat has always been a civic leader in providing good facilities of this kind and we need to keep active in this endeavour to ensure that we don’t fall behind with aging and outdated recreation centres. This is a huge part of “the Medicine Hat Advantage”.
