Gordon Cowan says tax increases of any kind, for any reason are unacceptable, and he vows to make blocking them his No. 1 priority is elected to Medicine Hat's city council.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s own Gordon Cowan has put his hat in the ring to become a member of the city’s next council, citing affordability as his flagship issue.
While born in Swift Current, Cowan has become an active member of the community and has served on several boards and committees, including the Medicine Hat Food Bank, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and MHDRA. He has also worked to promote auto racing in the city in the past.
He says he has grown concerned about what he’s seen from the current council over the last four years, and believes Medicine Hat is due for major changes, which he intends to be part of.
“I can’t tell you exactly, you know, why things got dysfunctional like they did. But we certainly haven’t got the opportunity to go through that for another four years, we have to turn things around and get things done,” said Cowan.
Above all, he promises prospective voters that he will not support any motions or ideas that would lead to a tax increase.
“I’m just not at all happy that the council can continue to vote for tax increases and these different things,” said Cowan. “The reality is, people just haven’t got extra money to be affording more and more bills right now.”
He continued on that in pursuing prosperity for those who live here, he wants to see more growth and opportunity for the current residents, instead of what he feels is cost of living increasing without much in the way of corresponding increased value.
Cowan says he is tired of watching the city “spin wheels,” and it is time to build a council that will get results. He feels his time working with different groups of people will be an asset on council. This includes in his career, community groups and with Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta including roles as president and chairman of the board, as well as a stint as a director of the Insurance Brokers of Canada.
“Medicine Hat shouldn’t be a city in Alberta that isn’t prospering,” said Cowan. “When I think about cities like Lethbridge, all of the commercial economics and so on that’s going around in other parts of the province, while we’re just stagnant, it’s just not right.”
“As (mayoral candidate Drew) Barnes would say, we’re going to refocus, and I find in total agreement with him there, we’ve got to refocus. We’ve got to put the people in place that can get the job done. And obviously we cannot continue on the way things are,” said Cowan. “The things that are happening, there are just things that people in Medicine Hat shouldn’t have to put up with.”
In the days to come leading up to the municipal election on October 20, Cowan says residents can expect an active campaign, with plans to speak to people to learn what matters to city residents, both out on the street and in his campaign office, which he said will likely be set up within the next two weeks.
