The Home Stretch to Election 2025

Is it my turn at bat?

Decisive Moments Ahead

This is it, the finals are this week and we'll have a new team representing the City of Medicine Hat starting Monday, October 20th, as we conclude election 2025 (or however long it takes to manually count those ballots). I do not envy the manual counting staff, never mind the additional cost on municipalities as we dial back the clock decades. Some estimates see a 300% increase in costs to the municipalities. That's an argument for another day, one of many discussions I hope to be able to engage in.

Community Engagement

Guessing is a fool's game, but that doesn't stop us. What I can tell you is that Hatter's are concerned about many issues, and this time around they are actually municipally controlled issues for the most part. I have never come across so many people engaged in their city. I've been impressed on many occasions about the capacity for caring that has been demonstrated across this city. The 2021 election saw a 40% voter turnout, up 4% from 2017. Are we going to crush that turnout and show that the closest form of government to the people is decided by a majority of voters? I sure hope so.

Key Concerns

• Homelessness: This issue is on many minds, with the blanket opinion that answers will not be easily found but the equal concern that it needs to be addressed.

• Small Business Support: Support is lacking, and many businesses are feeling the crunch. They have chosen to make this their home, but staying is becoming increasingly difficult.

• Pathways and Road Safety: Pathways continue to get the blame for one road that was narrowed to comply with modern design standards. This is not an either/or situation; we can find a way to make everyone safe.

• Council Dynamics: People want a council that gets along. Finding a group that can express individual opinions without being confrontational or disrespectful is a top priority. This does not mean we want a like-minded committee; we want a representation of diverse opinions that can make informed decisions.

• Energy Independence: Our energy is ours. Any council that decides to sell it off or give control to someone who doesn't live here will see their last term representing this city. We are split on the next energy source, open to investigating options but cautious about what that means.

• Rebuilding Trust: Trust has been lost, and we must rebuild it day by day, person by person.

Call to Action

Here's to the home team. Let's set them up to win by getting out and exercising our right to vote.

October 20th is your day to shine.