Mandi Campbell, a local realtor, has announced her bid for a city council seat in this fall's municipal election.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Police commission member Mandi Campbell will seek a seat on city council when Hatters go to the polls in October.
The realtor has served the last three years as a public member of the police oversight board, and told the News this week she’s running to become a councillor to “advocate for the taxpayer.”
“I have a real love for this city and want to enhance the Medicine Hat advantage,” Campbell told the News on Thursday.
“I’m really interested in what can be down near the river. I would like to promote growth and be an advocate for the taxpayer.”
Campbell says she has experience with the police budget, and was previously on the city’s parks advisory board.
As an avid runner, she takes a special interest in the city’s parks and trails system.
She moved to Medicine Hat 20 years ago from southwest Saskatchewan, and says “the Medicine Hat advantage still exists, but we don’t want to just maintain it.”
Campbell has previously involved in provincial politics, serving on local Wildrose party constituency boards.
More recently she has been highly critical of Premier Jason Kenney and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media channels.
“I have been critical,” she told the News. “But ultimately it’s about relationship building.”
Council faces a few major decisions heading toward the Oct. 18 vote.
Last month it approved steep budget cuts for this year and has signalled more are on the way for 2022 to erase a budget deficit without raising property taxes for two years.
The city is also considering a sale of the city-owned power plant. Campbell says she is developing positions on the issues, and stresses she wants to run a positive campaign.
“I don’t feel that I have the proper context right now, but I’m asking everyone I meet about it,” said Campbell. “I’m not running to be critical of council. I don’t have any beefs.”
The nomination period opened Jan. 1, and is open until Sept. 20.
To this point, only incumbent councillor Phil Turnbull has announced he will seek re-election.
In the mayor’s race, Ted Clugston announced earlier this month he will seek a third term. Alan Rose, a critic and head of the “Medicine Hat Ratepayers Society,” has also filed papers to run for mayor.
