Local businessman Jeremy Silver says he hopes to create change at city hall if elected to council. - SUBMITTED PHOTO
Local businessman and community volunteer Jeremy Silver says it’s time for a change at city hall and he believes he can foster that goal if elected to council.
Silver says he has grown his IFIX Technology business to one of the largest in the region that specializes in mobile device repair along with other tech services.
His volunteer experience includes time with the City Centre Development Agency. Silver and a group of colleagues created the United Way’s Spirit of Christmas feast, which is now Medicine Hat’s largest community-supported holiday dinner. It was the former position which provided him with the experience in civic politics necessary to move to the next step and seek an elected position.
Silver says he’d like to see more communication between the city and Hatters through social media to promote civic interest by younger residents.
“They are missing an opportunity to engage with a large segment of the population,” said Silver.
When it comes to communication through traditional means, Silver says they aren’t doing a good job of that either.
He used the example of the situation of Invest Medicine Hat and its, “what happens when you’re not up front and honest and you wait too long to come forward.”
Clarity on city hall’s waterfront development plans is required as well and whether it intends to close Finlay Bridge and River Road.
“They have not consulted the fire department, they have not consulted Medicine Hat police department,” said Silver of those potential closures.
“Our existing city council over the last 20 years has done very little to further the downtown core’s development,” he said.
Silver added you can’t enact change by electing the same people who have sat on council for the past two decades.
Silver says his main concern is to support small businesses.
“I want to bring back the department of business development to the city which was effectively phased out when Invest Medicine Hat was brought in,” said Silver.
As for his first order of business if elected, Silver says it will be to get out and personally communicate with Hatters. And whether elected or not, he says he will continue to serve the public.
