A former Morinville councillor is looking to serve as councillor again, this time in St. Albert.
Joseph Trapani was first elected to Morinville council in 2007. Later, Trapani ran for mayor of Morinville in 2010 against incumbent Lloyd Bertschi and lost by a margin of 71 votes. Ready to re-enter municipal politics, Trapani has put his name forward in St. Albert.
The 63-year old said he was initially inspired to run after discussions with friends and neighbours.
“I’m the type of person that likes to talk to people, and I’ve been hearing a whole bunch of concerns,” Trapani said.
Those concerns, according to Trapani, encompass the city’s snow clearing and removal policy, council remuneration, traffic issues, development, keeping taxes down, and more.
“I want to support local businesses and organizations, and encourage more festivals,” Trapani said. “I also want to see that government is more open and there are no backroom deals.”
In addition to transparency, Trapani said details matter to him.
“People have to understand the city only can do so much at one time, but if you do the small stuff, the big stuff comes around by itself,” Trapani said.
One detail he noted he would like to address relates to landscaping matters.
“Some residents have wondered if this is really a botanical city,” Trapani said. “On St. Albert Trail, the grass is nice and cut, but if you look right beside the edge that meets the street, you’ll see a bunch of long grass still growing.”
Attracting additional residents and business to the city was one aspect Trapani said he would work at to keep taxes down.
“The fact of the matter is, the more businesses and more industrial companies that you have in your municipality, the more taxes will come in that can bring the cost down for residents,” Trapani said. “More development, whether commercial or industrial, also brings more people into the city. Everybody wins in the long run.”
Trapani noted that residents have let him know they’re concerned about council’s remuneration, and said he’s listening.
“Why have councillors made so much when it’s a part-time job?” Trapani asked. “It’s about civic duty versus pay cheque. People are asking for councillors to take a cut in the form of five per cent.”
A St. Albert resident for eight years, Trapani said his past experience in Morinville equips him well for the position of councillor, should he be elected.
“I’m running for council because I know the system and how it works,” Trapani said. “I hope my experience can help improve everyday life in this beautiful city.”
