With 100 days remaining until Hatters go to the polls to decide their next mayor and city council, six people have so far registered to run for council, while none have yet to declare for the mayoral race.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
@CollinGallant
With 100 days until the next municipal election, just six Hatters are thus far registered to challenge for seats on city council, and none to vie for mayor.
That doesn’t include any current members of council, and only one repeat candidate from a huge field that resulted in major turnover in 2021.
The ballot traditionally grows in the late summer and early September, but right now few appear will ing to come into the spotlight as council tackles a handful of large issues before the end of the term.
That includes the lingering fallout from legal disputes on current council, the future of the energy division management and a transportation plan that dozens of Hatters spoke out against last week.
All Albertans will go to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect local government officials and school board trustees.
Candidate Pamela Kunz says that after 30 years in the city as a business owner and member of several community boards, she’s running for council and hopes to help define the city’s long-term goals.
“We have the goal of more growth, but that’s vague,” she told the News on Thursday. “Is it more population, more (municipal) revenue? More services?
“We need to define that out if we’re going to figure out how to get there.”
Currently she sees a lot of passion in the community, and potentially a large number of candidates, but added that single issues are only a small part of city business.
“I hope more people are looking at the long game,” she said. “There are not going to be any easy fixes.”
Business owner Chris Hellman says the next council should look forward and head off problems beforehand.
“It seems that consensus building has been a challenge – there’s got to be some give and take to get things done,” said Hellman, an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and Kinsmen Club. He also served as the campaign manager of former mayor Ted Clugston.
Hellman said the city can have an impact for Hatters suffering in an “affordability crisis.”
He would like to revisit the economic development model, but generally believes the city should concentrate on providing basic services well rather than add non-core services and expenses.
“Maybe bike trails aren’t a dire need right now,” said Hellman, adding that addressing problems in the downtown would likely “require more investment, not less.”
Kelly Allard was the first council candidate to register on Feb. 28 in a second attempt to win a seat on council.
The longtime critic of City Hall provides regular social media commentary on civic issues.
A campaign website outlines her top issues as a need for transitional housing to deal with social disorder and ending dependence on energy division revenue.
“Over the past t10 years, power has shifted from council to the city manager,” she wrote as part of her platform. “Part-time council members saw fit to delegate their responsibilities to the city manager.”
Allard finished in the middle of a large field of 33 council candidates in 2021. Six of the eight winning council candidates staged their first ever political campaigns.
Only one current councillor has announced their intentions for the next term: Ramona Robins said last year that she would not seek re-election to instead take a sabbatical from her private career as a manager with Alberta Justice.
Mayor Linnsie Clark told the News this spring that she will decide on her plans this summer, likely after a municipal inspection on council procedure is returned.
Sources say that report is due to be presented at council’s July 21 meeting.
Current candidate Troy Wason operates a paralegal service in Medicine Hat since moving here five years ago, and is currently the president of the Cypress Club.
He told the News last month that his main issues involved quality of life, good government and rejuvenating the city centre.
A consultant, Wason has held senior positions with the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and the Alberta Party in the past.
Two other registered candidates are Dana Christensen and Don Knudsen.
Knudsen currently sits on the municipal planning commission and was recently named as a public member of the subdivision and appeal board.
He is not related to similarly named Don Knutson, who served as the city’s finance general manager in the early 2010s before retiring.
No information about Christensen was readily available.
The official nomination period is open until noon on Sept. 22, but under provincial rules candidates are required to register with their local chief electoral officer before receiving or spending campaign funds.
