The Olds Albertan sat down with the trio of candidates running for mayor in this year's municipal election to give the community a better idea of who it will be voting for on Oct. 21 and what each candidate's plans are should they be elected.
The Olds Albertan sat down with the trio of candidates running for mayor in this year's municipal election to give the community a better idea of who it will be voting for on Oct. 21 and what each candidate's plans are should they be elected. The following are excerpts from interviews with newcomers Art Baker and Shirley Schultz and incumbent Judy Dahl.
ART BAKER:
How long have you lived in Olds?
Fifteen years.
What made you decide to run for mayor?
A lot of the people were suggesting that I should run for mayor because of my viewpoints that I explained to them. They're quite excited about it and that's what I decided to do. It was the people that said, 'Hey, you've got to run.' This happened actually about a year-and-a-half ago and it just kind of grew from there. So I said, OK, I'll do it.
What is your political experience?
When I lived on the farm out by Rocky View (County), I did run for school trustee. That must have been about 20 years ago. Before that I was involved in the Confederation of Regions Party.
Why should someone vote for you?
Because I'm going to be acting on their best interest.
To me, the administration has gone past what I think the people are asking for.
I want what the citizens want. I want to hear what they have to say and I want to represent them fairly. I don't want them to come to council thinking council has the big stick in this. I really want to do what the people want, of course within the proper guidelines.
If elected, what are your plans?
I have some very serious plans, and I would really like to keep it private until I do get elected because there are very serious consequences that I'm going to be initiating.
One of the things I would like to implement if I did get to office is the way the council meetings are being held. I know that when I call for a vote, I would like to motion for the councillors to make a vote, which follows the proper Robert's Rules of Order instead of saying 'Could someone please make a vote for this?'
The proper procedure of course is to ask one of the council members to make a motion to vote. Otherwise, you prejudice the vote amongst your councillors and they already know what you're thinking.
A few other things that bother me is that, and a lot of the citizens have complained to me about, is Habitat for Humanity came to town and wanted to buy two parcels of land from the town and they took a vote on it and they gave it to them. Yet at the same time, there's a shelter needed in this town that was ignored. The funds that went to that could have gone to the shelter. So that really rubbed a lot of citizens wrong. They made complaints and the citizens didn't get a chance to vote on it.
I think that council needs to listen more to what the citizens have to say. There should be more referendums and plebiscites held for bigger projects.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
(Baker said people interested in his biography can visit his website, www.mayorbaker.com, or visit his Facebook page.)
JUDY DAHL:
How long have you lived in Olds?
My husband and I moved our three boys to the town of Olds when we quick-claimed our farm in 1985.
What made you decide to run for another term as mayor?
What made me decide is that I have 23 years municipal experience, 14 as an employee and nine as a mayor. My family has lived in Olds for 28 years and it was very clear to me that the heart of Olds was beating strongly through its dedicated volunteers and citizens. For this term, basically it was powered by the people. My platform is simply powered by the people. It's because I know that the citizens of Olds are the ones that determine the needs of the community. So if you say to me, 'Judy, what's your platform?' I'm going to say, well, what would you like. Because it's not about Judy Dahl. It's not about the mayor, I have one vote. And I am not going to sit here and say I'm going to change this and I'm going to do that and that because I haven't even talked to you yet.
Why should someone vote for you again?
Because I'm passionate about my community and I value the thousands of hours that the citizens and volunteers have committed in this town and I need to be their voice. And when they present things to council, they need to trust the fact that the process worked.
What are some of your goals for a fourth term?
As a mayor, I want to continue the collaboration we have with our key partners. I want to continue to see sustainable, responsible growth.
We have people coming to the town of Olds for the experience of what we have to offer and we can start with O-NET, Mountain View Power, Olds Institute, a huge volunteer base that has created Olds Institute that no other municipality has. They are coming to live here because of that. And when they come here, they bring businesses with them. In the next four years I want to see the growth on the table today flourish through partnerships.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a pretty open-minded person, I'm easy to talk to, I'm dependable, I'm very reliable and dependable. I'm fair. Well-being and balance are very important to me.
There's no age boundaries for me. One of the biggest things that I'd like to achieve in 2014 is a leadership entrepreneur program with the students in the town of Olds.
SHIRLEY SCHULTZ
How long have you lived in Olds?
Over eight months, but I've lived here all my life. (I left) three years ago. I went to Innisfail. Then I came back.
What has made you decide to run for the mayor's seat?
I do believe that all candidates should be challenged for their position, whether they've been here three years or six years. I think it's important that people have choice.
I do believe it's time for a change.
Why should someone vote for you?
Because I tell the truth. I feel there's not enough communication between the taxpayers and the council. The (Municipal Planning Commission) has put things in Imperial Way that are upsetting the residents there and Rogers Communications (tower) is one example. It's right in the path of air ambulance STARS.
I've always been interested in politics and I thought, well, why not put it to good use? I talked to (Mayor) Jim Romane for Innisfail, he said he never saw a person like me being so knowledgeable in current affairs.
Can you give me an idea about what your political experience or background is?
My ex was a councillor for six years so I got a lot of insight on what happens in a council.
I was in the boy scouts for 20 years. I was a trainer 3 and area district commissioner. There were a lot of politics. My duty was to provide leadership to the people who are going to teach the children.
I'd just like to become involved in what's going on. If I'm not getting the answers, why am I not getting the answers? So what do I have to do to get answers? So here I am.
If elected, what are your plans?
I'm going to go through the committees and see if we can double them up. Because there's 29 committees and I think that's an awful lot for six people.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I'm an avid gardener. I belong to the International Garden Club. I like to bowl. I like tai chi. I like nature. I'm a very Earth person. And I like to do artwork.
Olds goes to the polls on Oct. 21 to choose who will sit in the mayor's seat for the next four years.
Advanced polls for Olds take place in council chambers at Town Hall on Oct. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Polling stations on election day, Oct. 21, will be set up at the Olds Royal Canadian Legion at 5241 46 St. from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Olds Chamber of Commerce will host a mayoral candidates forum on Oct. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pomeroy Inn and Suites.
Jordan Cleland, Olds College's vice-president of advancement, is hosting the forum.
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