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Building a Stronger Strathmore, Together.

Strathmore is a vibrant, close-knit community that has retained its small-town charm in an increasingly busy world. Our "secret" is out, and more people are discovering the magic of living in our rural community. The decisions made over the next four years will steer the growth of our little town for decades ahead...

 

Strathmore needs leaders with a strong vision for the future. Here's mine.

Preparing for Growth

Significant growth is anticipated for the Town of Strathmore in the next 10-15 years driven by local economic developments like the DeHavilland project in Wheatland County, interprovincial migration, and the current affordable housing crisis. At nearly 15,000 residents our small-town isn't so small anymore - it's critical that we protect the things we love about Strathmore and work together to build towards a common vision of our community for the future.

How?

Strathmore's Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw are the high-level planning documents that outline the vision for how the Town will grow - what developments we want to see and where we want to see them. Both are overdue for a rewrite and are scheduled to be tackled by the 2025-2029 Council. My vision for these documents includes:

  • Policies that protect our valuable natural areas and preserve the integration of natural features in our community.

  • Promoting thoughtfully integrated communities that allow for conveniences like corner stores, small businesses, and coffee shops to be located in the same neighbourhood where you live.

  • A focus on access to education and childcare facilities that provide the support families need to thrive.

  • Address housing insecurity and affordability by encouraging the development of a wide variety of housing options in Strathmore so that people can access the right kind of housing they need at every stage of life - whether you're a 20 year-old just starting out, a family of five, or a senior looking to downsize and simplify your life.

Wellness & Culture

Quality of life is measured in more than just dollars and cents, it includes a broader measurement of a community's wellness and culture - how we celebrate the things that are important to us, how we support one another, how we can access programs that will improve our lives. Strathmore is a community that consistently shows up for one another, that values the "neighbourliness" that you can only find in small prairie towns. Values that should be reflected by the leaders in the community. 

How?

  • Strongly supporting our community public library so that residents continue to have free access to materials and programs that enrich their lives, promote learning and literacy, and offer the opportunity for everyone to be connected to the community and to take action to make positive improvements to their lives. 

  • Enhancing our local performing and creative arts organizations to grow and thrive in Strathmore to allow residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities the opportunity to connect with their inner artists and support their wellness. 

  • Consulting with the community, and regional community partners, to better understand the needs of our local sports organizations to prioritize future investments and expand access to recreational facilities.

Community Resilience

Building strong communities requires a focus on resilience - the ability to recover quickly from difficulties and to withstand the challenges that life throws at us. 

How?

  • Predictable investment in our infrastructure to ensure the equipment and utilities already in place can operate at their optimum capacity and avoid unexpected breakdowns.

  • Planning for the future by strategically securing access to water resources the community will need as we grow, and expanding our reservoirs to serve the community in times or drought or emergency shortage. 

  • Enhancing emergency services and building a new, centrally-located, fire hall that will be able to quickly respond to emergencies throughout our community when every minute matters. 

  • Focusing on economic development and commercial investment in our community to stabilize property tax rates for homeowners and to ensure residents have access to good-paying jobs right in our community.

Financial Stability

Each candidate interested in serving in local government is focused on financial stability - where we differ is how we each approach our fiscal philosophies. My outlook on financial stability is focused on strategies with broader-reaching goals than simply "the lowest tax increases possible" - my focus is building municipal finances that are stable, predictable, and prioritize the things that are important to residents. Since the start of my term in office in 2021, reserves (operating, capital, and off-site levies) have increased by $7.9M and municipal debt has been reduced by $8.7M.​ We've managed to save into the municipal equivalent of our "emergency fund" while tackling the heavy debt load our community was carrying. 

My Philosophy?

  • Maintaining healthy reserves allows us to manage unexpected expenses without coming hat-in-hand to residents trying to justify why an extra-large property tax increase is required that year, or asking residents to make do with less when we cut service levels. One thing I've learned as a Councillor is that it's not if unexpected expenses happen, it's when.

  • Debt is a tool that should be used strategically and cautiously to fund the long-term needs of the community, not our short-term wants. 

  • Finding balance is key. Save enough reserves to help fund future projects and pay for unexpected needs, but not so much that we are over-taxing residents and businesses. Debt levels must be kept reasonable to ensure debt payments don't have a stranglehold on our community. 

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