Clark, Linnsie

By Scott Schmidt on September 29, 2025.

News profile

1. What are your thoughts on city ownership of Saamis Solar, and what direction would you want to see council take with ownership of renewables?

Medicine Hat has a long and storied history of using natural gas to power our city. So much so that we have become known as “The Gas City”. 
Despite the term “renewable energy” coming into fashion relatively recently, people have been harnessing the sun (including both solar and wind energy), the heat stored in the earth’s crust (geothermal energy) and the movement of water (hydropower) to power life and industry, for centuries. 
Thankfully, natural gas energy production and solar energy production are not mortal enemies. In fact, they can work very well together. They each have advantages and disadvantages that can work to counterbalance the other. 
Natural gas provides reliable (and necessary) base load energy production but is subject to the added cost of decarbonization policy, higher maintenance costs, and natural gas price volatility. Over just the past five years, natural gas prices have fluctuated from a high of 6.860/GJ in June 2022 to a low of 0.43/GJ just two years later in September 2024. 
On the other hand, solar energy is intermittent and must be paired with reliable baseload as a backstop or sufficient storage capacity. However, it benefits from decarbonization policy, has zero fuel costs, and it is becoming increasingly demanded by industrial customers. 
So, for me, the question is not whether we like natural gas or solar generation better; the question is, what is best for our community and energy business. 
With respect to Saamis Solar, I supported the City acquiring an interest in the project, in large part because the appropriate sites available within the City’s jurisdiction for a project of this nature are extremely limited. So, this acquisition served to protect important strategic optionality for our energy business. 
Ultimately, it will be up to the next council to choose whether to fund the construction the first phase Saamis Solar. That decision should include an analysis of customer demand for solar energy, decarbonation risks, and whether the project is likely to be economic and add value to our community.

2. What are your thoughts on the future of the energy division, specifically the concept of turning it into a municipally controlled corporation?

I support continued public ownership of the City’s energy business. However, I am in support of both an internal mechanism for skill-based governance, especially as the energy business becomes more complex with changing policy and transition concerns. I also support the implementation of the Rate Review Committee to review and approve rates and facilitate broader public input.

3. How would you look to balance taxation with the operation costs of running a city, as well as the services provided to residents?

In addition to focusing on strategically expanding our taxbase, I would advocate that Council direct administration to explore priority-based budgeting as an approach to ensure our budgets reflect what matters most to our community. Basically, instead of starting with last year’s budget and simply adjusting line items we would begin with a “clean slate”, allowing Council to assign resources to programs that deliver the highest value, aligning spending with real goals and promoting transparency and accountability.
In a very general sense, the steps would be as follows: 1) Assess Community Needs; 2) Identify Programs, Not Departments (a priority based budget would focus on funding programs rather than allocating money by department); 3) Evaluate and Rank Programs in According to their Contribution to those Priorities; and 4) Allocate Funding to Programs that Deliver the Highest Value. 
Priority-based budgeting is more time consuming but helps local government to focus their resources on the programs and services that truly make a difference. It’s especially helpful during tough budget years, ensuring that limited dollars go toward the most important outcomes, rather than being locked into historic spending patterns.

4. How would you approach economic development and any need to incentivize business to come to Medicine Hat?

How would you approach economic development and any need to incentivize business to come to Medicine Hat?
Successful economic development depends on a strategy grounded in evidence and clear success measures. The Southeast Alberta Economic Opportunity Strategy, Implementation Framework and Action Plan, developed collaboratively by six local governments over this term, is a promising start.
It’s vital that we intentionally build the relationships and trust that bring investment, talent, and opportunities from outside our borders, while maintaining strength in fundamentals like business retention, expansion, and workforce development. 
Transitioning from fragmented, bureaucracy-centred systems to human-centred design—improving the experience for residents, industries, and community groups will signal that Medicine Hat is welcoming and business-friendly.
When it comes to incentives, the key is to ensure they’re evidence-based and adaptive. By gathering feedback and measuring outcomes, we can continually adjust our incentive policies to make sure incentives truly produce the results we want.

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?
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?
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?

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