Attracting businesses to Red Deer instead of losing them to Gasoline Alley, the future of the city’s bike lanes, crime and taxes were some issues that voters wanted candidates to address at Wednesday’s candidate forum.
Incumbent Mayor Tara Veer said when it comes to businesses relocating to counties the challenge is that the provincial government pays for policing for rural communities, and they often have volunteer fire departments.
“This causes a systemic inequity between urban and rural and positions us as competitors rather than neighbours and it causes a 20 per cent tax differential,” Veer said at the two-hour forum, hosted by Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce at the Harvest Centre, that attracted about 300 people.
She said the city has recognizes this disadvantage and undertook a value for money audit on all of its building and development processes to find a way to address it next term.
Council candidate Valdene Callin said there is no one answer.
“If we’re having our citizens leaving to go out to Gasoline Alley or other areas because it’s easier to do business, or it’s cheaper to do business, then council has to look at ways to ensure we’re not losing those citizens,” Callin said.
Tackling crime and improving policing was a priority for several candidates.
“I strongly support phasing in our own municipal police force into a hybrid service with the RCMP,” said council candidate Vesna Higham.
“We need a different administrative approach to crime. We need more clerical staff to get trained officers out from behind a desk and out patrolling our streets in a proactive manner with greater visibility and more community outreach.”
Council candidate Jonathon Wieler wanted to use GPS tracking bracelets to reduce crime by hindering the activity of criminals.
Council candidate Jim Kristinson said dealing with illicit drugs would go a long way to help the city in many ways.
“If we can eliminate the drug problem, or address it in some manner, that’s going to affect overcrowding at the hospital, that’s going to affect our crime rate. So that needs to be our key focus,” Kristinson said.
When it comes to maintaining bike lanes, council candidate Doug Manderville said there were more important ways for the city to spend its money.
Council candidate Michael Dawe said cyclists could make more use of the city’s wonderful trail system.
“I’d look at the trail system that we have through the parks as a way of encouraging bike use. A lot of those trails will take people to core areas of the city,” Dawe said.
Candidates wanted to keep taxes low, but council candidate Ted Johnson wanted to go a step further.
“Most people’s income has either stagnated or gone down, so therefore the government has to adjust itself as well.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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