Affordability is the issue that concerns Red Deer city council candidate Jason Chilibeck the most.
“Affordability is crucial for municipal government to promote economic stability, social equity and overall community resilience,” says Chilibeck, a local business person and long-time community volunteer.
“By engaging with residents, businesses and other stakeholders to develop holistic strategies, municipalities are able to balance the need for revenue generation with the goal of ensuring affordability and accessibility for all residents.”
Chilibeck says working in private enterprise and volunteering has given him valuable experience and insight that could be used in council decision making. His understanding of business operations has taught him how to evaluate economic development proposals, business incentives and municipal budgets.
His leadership experience has also honed his communication, collaboration, problem-solving, stakeholder-engagement and decision-making skills to go along with the community perspective he will bring to the council table.
“Overall, the combination of experiences I have gained from working in private enterprise and volunteering contributes to a well-rounded perspective to inform future council decisions.”
“I am well-suited to understand the complexities of governance, anticipate potential impacts of policies and work towards the overall betterment of the municipality and its residents.”
Chilibeck says the “most important role of a municipal politician is to be a servant leader who works tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all residents, promote inclusive and equitable governance and ensure the municipality thrives both now and in the future.”
He sees a municipal politician as an advocate for the community, representing its best interests through fiscal responsibility, policy, community engagement, collaboration, consensus building and accountability.
On the question of introducing party politics at the municipal level, Chilibeck believes the cons outweigh the pros.
Party platforms may allow people to quickly assess whether they are politically aligned with candidates and help organize representatives around common goals.
“However, municipal politics revolves around local issues and many times national concerns do not apply,” he says.
Federal politics has shown how divisiveness and polarization can lead candidates and voters to feel pressure to align with a party rather than find the best way to address local issues.