Kienle a small business voice

Aaron Kienle is the first new face to declare his attention to seek a Councillor position in the upcoming municipal election.

Kienle, 34, a local business person, held a rally and press conference at Patrick Park Sept. 7, to announce he had submitted his nomination papers.

The gathering, some 50 people, had Kienle feeling good about his decision to run.

“It’s really, really positive for me,” he told those in attendance.

Kienle, an active social media user said he was also encouraged by the number of ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ he received on a Facebook.com post announcing his event at the park. He added he hoped he can “use this momentum,” as the campaign to be elected got under way.

Kienle said the turn out also suggested people are interested in the coming election (Oct. 26). He said that is important, adding he wants “everybody thinking about the election.”

Kienle said he had considered running in the last election, but said now is the right time for him to become involved and give something back to the city where he has raised his family and has operated small businesses for a number of years.

In talking to people leading up to his decision to run he said he was encouraged by many who said they felt he would be good at being a Councillor.

As a small business owner Kienle said that has been one element he feels has been missing on Council, with none of the existing Councillors involved in running a small business today.

“There should be a representative of small business,” he said, adding the decisions made by Council often impact business directly. As an example he talked of the highway work in front of the Parkland Mall in 2015, during the important back-to-school season.

“Small business is a tough place,” he said, but added it is something he has always been involved in. “… The City needs to embrace small business.”

Kienle added as a small business person he has had to take on a variety of roles, from sales, to bookkeeper, to floor sweeper, which has given him the capacity to be adaptable, a skill he believes would be an asset on Council.

“As a small business you wear a lot of hats … You’re learning and adapting all the time,” he said.

In general terms Kienle said he hopes to attract younger voters to the polls and to have a voice in determining who will lead the city the next four years.

“It’s time for some fresh thinking and a fresh face on City Council,” he said.

While not pointing at glaring issues with the current Council, or its decisions, Kienle said, “I think it can always be better.”

As for specifics, Kienle said that will be part of the learning curve if elected, to delve into the inner workings of the City and its finances, and from there fashioning specific ideas based on having all the information available.

Kienle then spoke directly to younger voters, or those who have not bothered to vote before.

“Together let’s make a difference in this election,” he said, adding it is those people he wants to encourage to become part of the process by casting a ballot.