It was only a few weeks ago in this space that we suggested Yorkton residents begin thinking about the municipal election which will send us to the polls Oct. 26.
At the time we said it was time for some fresh faces in council chambers.
This is a veteran group, all with multiple terms on Council.
Certainly experience counts for something in terms of how best to operate the City, but it is not the only attribute which can make a good councillor.
A fresh approach, new ideas, the exuberance of someone new to their role, can also offer a different approach to dealing with issues.
There is something to be said for a blended council, one with a mix of experience and new faces.
The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce has now come out with a paper encouraging voters to be engaged early in the election process, and in particular issues of interest to business.
“The Chamber identified five areas of interest to the business community and has made recommendations in each of those areas for the 2016 – 2020 City of Yorkton Council to consider following its election,” detailed Chamber executive director Juanita Polegi at a press conference at the organization’s offices Monday. “The intention is to get people talking about the recommendations so they can discuss these with the candidates for mayor and council.”
Chamber president Corey Werner said the initiative is not suggesting the current edition of Council has been a bad one.
“I think they’ve done a pretty good job so far,” he said, adding in general terms they have been going in the right direction in many areas.
However, the document being distributed in the Chamber’s newsletter this month detailed a number of specific concerns with the processes of Council, and that does reflect some level of concern with the current edition’s approach.
For example, “the City’s Tendering Protocols have been under the scrutiny of the Chamber as a result of concerns expressed by some of its membership. The Chamber recommends that the 2016-2020 Council adopt public openings of tenders for major projects. The Chamber further recommends the 2016 –2020 Council review (and revise as necessary), in consultation with representatives from local construction firms familiar with tendering large projects, the City’s policies and protocols as they pertain to the tendering and quoting processes for major construction projects,” detailed the document.
Obviously the status quo approach to the tender process is not acceptable to at least some Chamber business members.
Similarly the document being circulated has concerns with how Council and the City has managed the airport.
“The Chamber recommends that the 2016–2020 Council appoint a new Airport Authority comprised of business owners representing a broad spectrum of business sectors. It further recommends that the new Airport Authority be given the authority to hire staff and to investigate additional revenue sources, in line with other Airports,” it stated.
Certainly during the press conference Werner and Polegi were quite supportive of the current Council, with Polegi stating, “this is not a looking back document; it’s a looking forward document.”
But the list of issues put forth is certainly suggestive of some definite concerns about certain processes of the current Council, which of course is what the upcoming election will be about, the status quo of a very veteran Council roster, or a move to fresh faces and their ideas.
