By Greg Nikkel
The race for Weyburn’s city council became a little bit crowded at the close of nominations on Wednesday, with 14 candidates vying for the six councillor seats, and two candidates facing off for mayor. None of the candidates withdrew in the 24-hour period after the close of nominations. The election is set for Wednesday, Oct. 26, with a candidates forum to be held on Monday, Oct. 17, at the Weyburn Legion Hall.
The mayor’s chair is being contested by the incumbent Debra Button and Marcel Roy.
The candidates for council include incumbents Winston Bailey, Dick Michel, Laura Morrissette, Nancy Styles and Mel Van Betuw, while council veteran Rob Stephanson did not file for this election. The new candidates for council include Brad Wheeler, Tim Hughes, Jeff Chessall, Jeff Richards, Cam Weber, Jeff Heisler, Matthew Caudill, Stacy Muxlow and Jason Bill.
Running for the two Weyburn trustee positions on Southeast Cornerstone School Division are Melanie Sorensen, Brandon Tichkowsky, Bruce Wagner and incumbent Warren Betker. The two trustees for Weyburn for the Holy Family School Division, Jerome Sidloski and Bruno Tuchscherer, were acclaimed.
Winston Bailey is going for his third term on council, and looks at development and the relationship with other municipalities as two of the important issues for him.
“I want to continue developing the relationship between the RM and the city. In the last four years that has taken some positive steps forward, and I want to keep working to improve that,” said Bailey.
On the issue of development, Bailey feels the city needs to change the off-site development levy of $12.72 a square foot, noting that some existing businesses have been deterred from expanding their business because of this levy.
“I still think that is an unfair tax when we want to encourage existing businesses to expand or for businesses to put up added buildings. That tax is scaring people away from building,” he said.
Bailey would also like to continue being involved in the issue between the Weyburn Golf Course, the RM and the city on property taxes.
“It’s come to a head, so I want to be involved with that and get that facility out there taken care of so it’s operating in a profitable manner,” he said, adding that working with the RM is vital to both municipalities.
Bailey said he has enjoyed his time on council so far, and commented, “I’ve got lots of things on my plate. If I didn’t have a passion to be here, I wouldn’t submit my name for council. I want to continue making this a quality place to live, and make it a better place to live.”
This will be Cam Weber’s third try to get onto council, and said he wants to step forward to represent the average person and non-profit organizations.
Weber noted council gave themselves a raise in this last term, and said he would like to challenge the mayor and councillors to give 10 per cent of their council remuneration to a non-profit charity, and gave the Salvation Army as an example of a group that needs funding. He found out that for the Salvation Army to provide fresh perishable food like milk, eggs and meat costs them about $12,800 a year. By his calculation, if councillors gave 10 per cent of their remuneration, that would give the Salvation Army $16,633.
He said if he is elected, he would commit to donate at least 10 per cent to a non-profit group. Weber also feels that those wanting to be elected should have the attitude that they are there to serve the citizens of the community, and wants to see more transparency with council.
Weber pointed out that in 2014, as part of the Community Low Income Centre, he asked for a copy of the city’s financial statement, and said it took him six tries and three months before he was finally supplied with it.
He also wants to address some of the issues on the South Hill, such as the state of Fourth Street, where a portion of the street was dug up for a sewer line replacement, and the city promised to put it back into its original condition. The street is still very rough and is partly in gravel, so this promise has never been kept, he said.
A new candidate running for council is Tim Hughes, an employee of Cenovus. Married with three children, Hughes has lived in Weyburn for five years and worked with Cenovus for 10 years, including having experience in industrial construction.
Asked about why he is running for city council, he replied, “I’ve been considering it since I left high school.”
Now that he and his family have settled in here with a new home, he wants to work to ensure that public safety is maintained, and that recreational facilities are available for children in the community.
He also has an interest in business development in Weyburn, saying, “I’d like to see new businesses get a bit of a break.”
“I am somebody you can bring a concern to, and I won’t shy away from it. I will bring it up to city council,” said Hughes, noting he has worked with committees at Cenovus, so he has experience in working with a team.
“I love the small town feel where my kids can walk to school. … I’m just excited to run ,” he added, and noted he would like to bring his experience and expertise in industrial construction to any big projects that might come before council.
Stacy Muxlow is also a new candidate for the council. Married with four children, she worked for the health region for 10 years before leaving to be a homemaker.
She hadn’t considered running until friends urged her to consider it after expressing her views on different things related to the city while working at the golf course over the summer.
“People liked my views and what I had to say, so they kind of put the bug in my ear. Normally I’m not one for politics, but after raising my family and being involved in my kids sports, such as being on tournament committees, has kind of prepared me,” she said, noting that in reality, politics is everywhere and is a part of everyday life.
“I’d like to be part of the solution and I’d like to learn more about it and be a part of the discussions rather than just sitting on the sidelines,” said Muxlow.
“I think change is good and it’s a positive thing, because we’re moving towards the future, and not just looking at things right now.”
Some of the areas she would like to be involved include parks and recreation, as well as any issues relating to education.
“There are a couple of things I find really important to me and my family. There is always room to grow and to improve, and I want to set a goal and achieve that goal in a positive manner,” said Muxlow, adding she feels she could be a good asset to city council.
“I have the ability to listen to different ideas and concerns. I’m an outgoing person and very approachable, and I would love to be a part of those conversations,” she added.
Matthew Caudill is also a new candidate in the race, and has lived in Weyburn for the last 10 years after moving here from the U.S. to be near his wife’s family. He has been working in HSE for the last seven years, and has just started a new position with the Cornerstone School Division.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to serve my community. It’s a good thing to have a change of leadership, so there can be a change in the way of doing things. If we have the same leadership for too long, it becomes stagnant,” said Caudill. “I want to bring a new perspective to council.”
He noted that many of the candidates are saying the same thing, and many have the same basic idea of what they would like to do.
One area of interest he would like to explore is to be a member of the city police board. “Weyburn’s emergency services are very strong, and they’ve been there for us. It’s one of those things I think I would enjoy being involved with,” he said. Another area of concern is for the city to have a place where tweens (children aged 10-14) could hang out with others their own age.
