Voters get their first look at mayoral and city council candidates this Tuesday when the St. Albert Taxpayers’ Association hosts an all-candidates forum at the Arden Theatre. It’s an opportunity for new challengers to speak directly to the electorate about why they’re a better choice for public office compared to familiar incumbents who typically have an easier go of it on name recognition alone. But that doesn’t mean incumbents won’t face tough questions about their record these past three years.
Arlington Drive and the downtown area redevelopment plan (DARP) are perhaps the most obvious issues incumbents can expect to hear about Tuesday given the views of the host. But as relevant as those decisions are, they are but two among hundreds of decisions this council has made — and must defend — leading up to Oct. 18. Spending and taxes will always dominate public discussion at election time. Three years ago several incumbents, including the mayor, ran on platforms rife with statements about fiscal prudence and how business acumen would rein in spending. Council raised municipal property taxes by 5.9 per cent, 5.1 per cent and 2.9 per cent. None of the increases stands out as outlandish, and several incumbents like Gareth Jones, Nolan Crouse and Roger Lemieux displayed a refreshing amount of rigour in scrutinizing new spending at budget time. But did they go far enough? Some voters will remember last year’s tax hike came during a period of economic upheaval when many small businesses suffered. That public sector shelter won’t sit well with some, nor will several cost overruns for Riel Recreation Park. If the next phases go forward, will council draw a line in the sand or should taxpayers brace themselves?
Economic development was atop council’s priority list and there are successes and misses. Crouse, in his tireless way, led the charge by meeting with numerous big-name businesses to sell them on St. Albert. But where would they build? St. Albert can’t offer large lots in either of its business parks, and while this council has said creating a new industrial park was a priority, it rejected several locations before leaving the issue unresolved. Council gets full marks for approving the first development in the annexed lands, Erin Ridge North, and attempting to facilitate others through a joint servicing strategy, but is that enough three years after annexation?
Smart growth was perhaps the most complex issue of the term and certainly the one that consumed the most time. Almost two years of work to plan the annexed lands went up in smoke after this council felt the types of changes proposed went too far. While we understand and support the decision not to destroy what has made St. Albert a successful residential city, what are we left with? Many of the issues, like a new industrial park and targeted densification where it makes sense, are worth exploring but won’t see the light of day during this term.
Despite the debacle over Arlington Drive, this council can take credit for making more inroads on affordable housing than the previous two councils combined, albeit aided by provincial grants. Still, council has facilitated construction of housing for seniors with the North Ridge Lodge expansion and the Rosedale complex in Akinsdale. City funding for the St. Albert Housing Society’s Big Lake Pointe project could push it over the top to qualify for provincial funding. The city’s basement suite program hasn’t been a bust, but with unspent cash years into the program, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate.
Incumbents have plenty of other successes to point to, including the funding deal for the first two stages of Ray Gibbon Drive (several previous councils failed on that front), the anti-idling bylaw, DARP, adding a popular service like curbside recycling that will raise landfill diversion rates and a new branding strategy that, though still fresh, eventually could turn some heads towards St. Albert. Those are tempered by misses like the inability to resolve the park and ride problems at Village Landing, painfully prolonged decision-making when sometimes decisiveness is needed, and in some cases showing little leadership on problems like the Sturgeon River. In any case, voters and candidates should have plenty to talk about.
