Crowsnest Pass Municipal Election
My time as a councillor is officially winding down.
Nomination day has come and gone, and with it my time as a councillor is officially winding down. I made the decision long ago that this would be my last term. It was not a decision I took lightly, but one I knew was right. The truth is, I am tired. At the same time, my career is taking off and it is time to see where it goes. I am excited to start my podcast and perhaps write a book. Life is always about challenge and movement forward, and this feels like the right moment to take that step.
For years I have tried to answer every phone call that came my way. I returned as many messages as I could, and I worked to help as many people as possible. That is what I always believed the role of a councillor should be. It is not glamorous. It is not about attention. It is about listening and doing your best to solve the problems that matter most to the people who live here.
I am grateful for the trust that our citizens placed in me. I will carry the experiences of serving on council for the rest of my life. But now, as we enter this election season, I shift into a different role. From time to time I will attend and cover council meetings as a journalist. After all, who better to bring readers a clear and accurate picture of what is happening than someone who has sat at that table and knows the work firsthand.
This election is shaping up to be one of the most important in recent memory. There is a large slate of candidates, many of them connected to the ratepayers association. They are running on a platform of reducing, reducing and more reducing. My question to them, and to the community, is simple: Reduce what?
Are they planning to close the pool? Will they look at shutting down the ski hill? Will funding disappear for the Kananaskis Pro Rodeo, the Museum, the Art Gallery or the Library? These are not luxuries. They are part of the fabric that makes the Crowsnest Pass a community worth living in.
The reality is that our municipal budget does not have a lot of fat to trim. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not being straight with you. Yes, every budget can be managed carefully, and there is always room for efficiencies. But the kind of sweeping reductions being promised raises real questions about…