Kirby Schafer, a former 30-year employee of the City of Medicine Hat, says his behind-the-scenes knowledge of city operations over the years showed him that if he wanted to see the progress he expected, he needed to step up to be involved.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
After 30 years working for the city, council candidate Kirby Schafer is hoping to take the reins and be part of what comes next for Medicine Hat.
Born and raised in the city and spending his career as a lineman, Schafer says part of his reason to run for council was rooted in his time working for the city, seeing the good and the bad alike of day-to-day operations and the decisions made by council as they affected him.
“I saw a lot of what happened this last term, and especially with the public. There was one gentleman on Facebook that I ran across, and he basically suggested that if someone thinks they can do better, they should,” said Schafer. “They should put their name on the ballot, and stop being an armchair quarterback. I thought to myself, what a great comment.”
He brings with him a passion for the wellbeing of his home town, a collaborative spirit and an appreciation for respectful debate, as well as a strong understanding of what city staff and administration need in order to get things done.
His flagship belief is that the city needs to get back to focusing on its needs over what’s wanted, something only accomplished through strategic, long-term planning and investment in vital infrastructure.
“When it comes to budgets, not only for the current budget, but for future budgets, we have to be proactive, not reactive, where you’re planning for future facilities. That includes maintenance and staffing costs,” said Schafer. “We can’t be reacting as things come up and just throwing money at the issues.”
A budget should not have any surprises in it, in his mind, and he commented that it is similar to when he had to create budgets for his department, he would like to see multiple budgets put forward with differing degrees of cost reduction. This, says Schafer, would allow for the city to better understand how lean it can run without cutting services.
He added that he believes making sure these needed facilities are in good working order and creating a vibrant, affordable city will help to attract industry to the area, something sorely needed in Medicine Hat.
“No one’s going to want to invest in Medicine Hat if our house is a mess, but if they come here and they see that it’s well run, affordable, has lots of amenities, it’s going to be an attractive place to invest in,” said Schafer. “The other issue is that I’d like to see a thorough review of our staffing.
“I know for a fact that there have been consultants hired in the past. I’ve seen the reports but I never saw any of the recommendations being implemented. We’re using taxpayers’ money to invest in the City of Medicine Hat, and that investment should have a return.”
He says he believes that staffing, like every expense from the city, needs to bring value because of the fact that municipal spending is done using taxpayer money. As such, he aims to be detail oriented, transparent and responsible regarding any and all council investments.
If elected, Schafer plans to be accessible to anyone with questions and concerns; while he cannot promise to have an answer everyone will like, he will take the time to find the answers for those he answers to. He believes in the role of a councillor as an ambassador to the city and would like to see council, including hopefully himself, present at public events, fundraisers and similar gatherings more often.
In the meantime however, he is looking toward a more modern take on a classic campaign, remaining active on social media and spreading what he believes via word of mouth.
“Running the city, in my mind, is like running a responsible household. You plan your budget, you look after your needs and you plan to have a little money left over,” said Schafer. “I’ve lived here my whole life, I haven’t left, my family hasn’t left. I’m very proud of Medicine Hat. It’s a beautiful city. Let’s keep it that way, and keep making it better.”
