It wasn’t a clean sweep, but St. Albert voters expressed a desire for a measure of change when casting ballots Monday night. Mayor Nolan Crouse won a lopsided victory for a second term, while the new council features four newcomers in Cathy Heron, Cam MacKay, Malcolm Parker and Wes Brodhead, who join incumbents Len Bracko and Roger Lemieux. Gone are two incumbents, James Burrows, who was 14 votes from a fourth term and Gareth Jones who finished eighth.
Most times when an incumbent mayor garners 68.5 per cent of the vote it’s viewed as a ringing endorsement of the last three years. Crouse did see a huge jump in popular support from 58 per cent in 2007, however the competition this time around, Shelley Biermanski, wasn’t very strong as even she conceded on election night. Though the margin of victory was not as large as some predicted and voter turnout was dismal, Crouse starts his next three-year term with a sizeable mandate to pursue his vision of economic development, land-use reviews and grassroots community building. To do that he’ll have to work within a team of new and returning faces, all of whom have proved more than willing to roll up their sleeves.
For some the four new council faces will be viewed as evidence that incumbents were out of touch with St. Albert residents, however that sells short the importance of solid, feet-to-the-pavement campaigning, meeting faces and making connections in the community. No candidate was better at this than Heron, who led a hard-fought campaign on the doorstep, a lesson no doubt learned in 2007 as Crouse’s campaign manager. The work this time, however, was hers alone and it paid off in a major way.
Placing second was MacKay, who ran a well-articulated campaign of fiscal oversight and making neighbourhood concerns a priority on development matters. He put in the hours and work all the while positioning himself as a counterpoint to the record of the incumbent council. Parker was a direct, effective voice supporting short- and long-term economic development needs. Brodhead learned from his unsuccessful 2007 campaign and turned in a fine performance, clearly stating his stance on the issues in a refreshingly direct manner. Bracko and Lemieux didn’t run perfect campaigns, but proved experience can count for something and are visible in the community.
Burrows and Jones provided perhaps the biggest lesson in the value of grassroots campaigning. Both had plenty of signs on the streets, but had less face time in the community, proving even incumbents cannot rest on name recognition alone. And while it’s not a resounding rejection, it means St. Albert says goodbye to a three-term councillor in Burrows, a strong advocate for economic growth and moving development in this city forward. Jones had less experience but you wouldn’t know it from his performance in council chambers where he always did his homework, asked good questions and didn’t shy from offering often unfiltered opinion.
In the end St. Albert voters weren’t seeking revenge at the polls, but a balanced mix of experience and new ideas. Our council reflects an overall contentment with St. Albert, yet recognition there’s room for improvement. From what we saw on the campaign trail, each member excels at one or several issues be it economic development, fiscal oversight, land-use issues, public consultation or community building. We know what to expect from Crouse’s hands-on leadership style, but it’s possible the loss of some colleagues will lead to some soul searching about issues that could have been handled differently while holding onto the realization you can’t please everyone. The newcomers should bring enthusiasm, new priorities and new points of view that, hopefully, could shake a few trees at city hall. It’s a balance that could work out in everyone’s favour.
