Justin Wright aims to focus on financial stewardship if elected to city council.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
Justin Wright is already part of the local food truck scene, and now hopes to take his place in city council.
Wright has lived in Medicine Hat since 1998 and is a graduate of Hat High.
He started his management career with Future Shop and ran the local store for a number of years. Then he switched to Walmart, having spent the better part of the last eight years being employed as a manager of a Calgary area store and the Medicine Hat location.
Earlier this spring, Wright and his wife started Fryer Tucks, where Wright says he makes an effort to support other local businesses through the ingredients he uses.
If elected, Wright wants to focus on financial stewardship.
“Right now, we are running deficit on deficit on deficit. The city is definitely going to start feeling that strain,” says Wright. “When we take a look at our debts as an example, we have added on an astronomical amount of debt in five years. Even if we factor out COVID, there has been a history of financial mismanagement.”
Wright thinks the retiring population of Medicine Hat will spell disaster in the next 10 years, and the city needs to get back on track.
Wright wants to focus on the cities already strong amenities, in hopes to attract “those key demographics we’re looking for; that expandable income population… and that is going to be something that can sustain us through the next 10 years.”
If elected, Wright says the first thing he’ll do is investigate the books.
“If it means we have to cancel some projects this year because it’s going to add to the debt, I would focus on those situations,” he said. “It’s one of those things that we need to be very transparent on in city hall, and I feel like our transparency isn’t matching what the community is expecting.”
Wright has also started a mental health support group called “The See Tomorrow Project” and says he will continue to support Hatters struggling with mental illness by connecting them to the proper resources and supports.
