Mayor

Question 1

What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role?

Question 2

What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Medicine Hat are, and how would you approach these issues?

Question 3

What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the City does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?

Question 4

Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Question 5

Over the next four years, should the City spend less in absolute terms, increase spending but by less than the rate of inflation and population growth, increase by the rate of inflation and population growth, or increase faster than the rate of inflation and population growth?

Question 6

The City often claims that they’ve found savings in various budgets, but instead of actually cutting spending, they just put the savings into a reserve account and then spend that money on other things. If there’s money left over at the end of a financial year, do you think that money should be saved up by the City to spend in future years? Or should it be returned automatically to taxpayers the following year through some kind of rebate?

Question 7

Everyone says they support affordable housing, but what does that term mean for you? Do you think the City should be subsidizing housing for lower-income residents? Or focused on keeping the cost of all housing from getting out of control? Or perhaps some combination of the two? If so, how?

Question 8

How do you view the role of public sector unions in City operations, and what steps would you take to ensure union negotiations do not compromise fiscal responsibility?

Question 9

What is your position on the proposed Municipal Controlled Corporation (MCC) for Medicine Hat’s power utility? Do you believe creating an MCC is in the best interest of residents, or should council retain direct control of power generation? Would you support holding a referendum before moving forward with such a major governance change?

Question 10

Has public trust in City Hall leadership been damaged by the prolonged conflict between council and administration, and if so, what changes - legal, procedural, cultural, or other - are most urgently needed to prevent a repeat of the kind of breakdown we saw with the current Council?

Question 11

Do you think City Administration has too much influence over decision-making compared to elected councillors, or is the balance about right? How should disputes between a mayor or council and the city manager be resolved - through policy direction, mediation, or legal processes? Or something else?

Question 12

Lethbridge recently considered moving to a ward system for municipal elections. Voters approved it in a referendum, but their Council ultimately rejected the idea. Would you support introducing a ward system in Medicine Hat, or at least holding a referendum on the issue? Please explain your reasoning.

Question 13

Municipal elections have historically been contested by independents, but many of our supporters have told us that they’d like to know the political alignment of the candidates as it helps them get a better feel for a candidate's beliefs. So, are you are affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties and, if so, which ones and why?