Three
years ago, I was assigned to do a series of columns on that year's
civic election. Agreeing to do it was probably my first mistake, but
others soon followed.
I
kicked off by listing the candidates, and listed the occupation of
one of them as “housewife.”
Time,
and our misjudgements do catch up to us, and an apology
for that was only one of several I've needed to do over my career.
Besides, I now happen to be a housewife myself (part-time, which is
the best arrangement possible).
But
one thing I believe I had right back then is still right today. The
issues of the day are not the issues that ought to decide your vote
in the civic elections on October 21.
If
you think holding a strong position on bike lanes or potholes
qualifies anyone to be a city councillor, let me be the first to
disabuse you. It doesn't.
Being
“someone who listens” is an excellent personal trait, but I have
news for you — city councillors have to listen
whether they like it or not.
Business
experience is valuable in many spheres, including being a city
councillor, but many a business person on council has quickly learned
that working in a service environment requires a much more nuanced
skill set.
You
can't do anything by management decree. You can't simply raise prices
to meet costs, and you're not allowed to close the shop.
If
creating a sound business plan and a workable budget for business is
an art, doing the same for the city is more like the Sistine Chapel,
with the vision of Judgement Day right over the exit door to council
chambers.
These
admirable qualities, on their own, do not a good councillor make.
What
I wrote three years ago holds true today, and is even more important
in this election, because of our high number of candidates.
I
suggest you screen candidates against your own view of what kind of
city you want to live in. Select the ones that best reflect back to
you a representation of what you would like Red Deer to be like, four
years from now.
And
then, give up one whole hour of your next four years, and vote.
This
is much more difficult than it sounds, and gets more complicated the
more deeply you think about it. Especially when you think about how
our city is growing.
For
instance, if you want to avoid increasing traffic congestion in a
city that has about three thousand more people a year using the
roads, how can we achieve that?
If
you think Red Deer's capital debt is already too high, how can we
build infrastructure that matches our growth without having to
borrow, and without falling too far behind?
If
you want to live in a city where people can feel safe on our streets,
do you really think putting more cops on the streets will achieve
that?
I'm
writing here as someone who has lived through a horrendous, violent
robbery against a family member: what do you mean when you want to
feel “safe?” Safe from crime, or safe from the fear of it?
Here's
what is most important: what do you like about Red Deer, and what do
you want to see more of, four years from now?
From
the outset, this campaign has been pretty negative. If there's
anything you don't like about Red Deer, you will certainly find a
full slate of candidates who will reflect that back to you.
But
I suggest “voting against” won't get you the kind of city you
would want to live in, four years from now.
For
my vote, I want to hear something positive about what Red Deer could
be like with a population of 110,000, four years from now.
I
will also want to hear good familiarity with the planning charters
we've built as our roadmap to a city with 100,000-plus people in it.
Failure to do so disqualifies you from being a city councillor, on my
ballot.
Candidates
can say what they please, but I want voters to concentrate on what's
good about their lives now, and what city council can do to make them
better over the next four years.
There are voters in Red Deer today, who were not here three years ago, and who, if they all voted as a bloc, could elect a complete council slate.
More than 10 per cent of the people who could vote in
civic elections four years from now, don't even live here now. What
brings them here? What makes them want to stay?
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