Council candidate Cheryl Phaff is taking to a ballot for the first time, but is no stranger to politics. If elected, she promises to push for a three-year property tax freeze.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Council candidate Cheryl Phaff is staking her campaign on practical solutions to real problems, as she steps into the political spotlight.
Phaff is no stranger to politics, as a former provincial director with the Wildrose Party who oversaw campaigns that resulted in 10 MLAs elected to the legislature. This however, is her first time putting her name on the ballot, a decision borne of a desire to see Medicine Hat have the best possible foot forward.
“I thought that in Medicine Hat it was time for Smith to have some responsible leadership at city hall that focused on practical solutions to keep life affordable while also growing the local economy,” said Phaff. “Residents want a council that listens, works respectfully together and delivers measurable results.
“This campaign is about bringing sanity back to city hall through professional conduct, clear decision making and a focus on outcomes that improve daily life for families and seniors.”
Her foremost priority is restoring public trust. Hearing from residents that they are frustrated with the lack of cohesion on the current council, Phaff hopes to work on building an effective, respectful council focused on common-sense results for those they represent.
“Secondly, I think it’s important to have economic growth,” she said. “Economic growth is the life blood of a city; it means that we have jobs and we have income coming in for people. So I think that’s really important to keep growth going and at a steady pace.
“As a business owner, I know that well.”
For Phaff, this doesn’t focus on either side of the spectrum when it comes to business size, but is all-encompassing, hoping to both support small local businesses and put Medicine Hat on the map for larger industry looking for somewhere new to settle.
While bringing in that development, she also discussed the idea of keeping Medicine Hat as affordable as possible through a tax freeze, and addressing crime and homelessness through a balanced approach that combines enforcement for repeat offenders with expanded access to treatment, shelter and transitional housing.
“It seems like every year we’re getting tax increases, and I think that’s unreasonable for people, and that we should be freezing them for at least three years to make life more affordable,” said Phaff.
She believes this leads into the issue of crime or homelessness, as when life gets too expensive for the average person, that can make it harder for people.
Phaff is the founder and owner of Cancube Industries, which she feels helps bring the skills to manage projects and budgets, as well as communicate effectively with all levels of the city, from council to staff.
If elected, Phaff promises a common-sense approach and to be a strong advocate for things which will directly benefit residents, such as the aforementioned tax freeze and protection of the municipal utilities, which she believes remains a valuable asset to the city for keeping the cost of living down.
“Government should make life more affordable, not more expensive,” stressed Phaff.
In the weeks leading up to the Oct. 20 election, Hatters can expect to see Phaff door-knocking, attending as many events as possible and getting to know the city through the eyes of a hopeful representative.
