The Weyburn Civic Election will take place on October 24, 2012. The Weyburn Chamber of Commerce, in order to facilitate communication between the municipal voters and those running for office, hosted an All Candidates Forum at McKenna Hall on October 11. For those who were unable to attend, Access7 has broadcast the event once and will re-air 'Decision 2012' on October 20 and 21 on local cable access channel 7.
Mayor Debra Button, who is running for her third elected term, was in attendance at the forum. Bruce Croft, who did not attend the forum, is also running for Mayor of Weyburn. Four current city councillors are running for consecutive terms, while four new candidates join in the competition for the six seats on Weyburn City Council. Voters will select one person for Mayor and up to six people for Council.
Choosing who will represent Weyburn residents has been made easier by the All Candidates Forum, which entailed opening statements from each candidate as well as three questions posed by the Chamber. Then, the audience was invited to ask questions. The goal was not to have a debate, but rather an amicable discovery of what each candidate could offer the community.
The rapid growth of Weyburn is the recurring theme for this election. According to the calculations of the Saskatchewan Association of Home Builders, it is estimated that our city's population will double in the next 13 years.
"There have been a number of important and yes, timely decisions that have been necessitated as a result of our extended economic growth and upswing," said Mayor Button in her opening statement. "However, never assume that all the decisions made by your Mayor and Council are easy. Every decision must be grounded in solid information and appropriate timing."
"We as a city are in a unique position where history will tell us to be wise and careful, in our choices for leadership and in our fiscal responsibility," she added.
Rob Stephanson is completing his 16th year as Councillor. If re-elected, he wants to address key issues such as planning sustainable growth within the city and the RM of Weyburn so that "the unprecedented opportunities we have now and will have in the future can be managed in a positive and progressive manner."
Nancy Styles is running for her third term as Councillor.
"I have been faithfully participating, researching and facilitating the considerable work that is done in committee," said Styles. She has chosen to focus on continued fiscal responsibility, strategic planning projects, as well as to advocacy on behalf of all of the citizens of Weyburn.
Winston Bailey has been a Councillor since early 2011.
"Prior Councils and management have done a good job at keeping our city financially strong," said Bailey. He added that, as Weyburn grows at a faster pace, new challenges arise, so Weyburn needs to be competitive with other communities to attract new business as well as to encourage existing businesses, giving them an opportunity to grow with the city.
Dick Michel has been a Councillor for 12 years. He stated that he considers open-minded communication with the tax payers a valuable part of his role as an elected official.
"A huge part of being a Councillor is not just what is happening today in the City, but it is what is going to be happening in the future." Michel wants to continue being involved in planning for the rapid growth of Weyburn.
Mel Van Betuw, a retired business owner, is running for the first time.
"We desire many things in Weyburn," said Van Betuw, "one being the need to grow industry and to continue to keep infrastructure current." He stated that Weyburn should have a strong working relationship with the RM of Weyburn as well as the surrounding communities in order to plan together and partner for mutually-beneficial development.
"We must grow and attract people to Weyburn and at the same time keep our city a safe place to raise our children and our grandchildren," he added.
Barry Dickie, a facility maintenance operator, noted that he hopes that as Weyburn grows as a city, it should do so without losing its small town appeal.
"That's what makes Weyburn feel like home," he said.
Connie Nightingale is also running for Council for the first time. She stated that her many achievements qualify her for the job, including being instrumental in reviving the Crocus 80 theatre. She noted that being 32-years-old would make her a great representative for her voting demographic. Nightingale emphasized community pride and that, with the impending population growth of Weyburn, she would like to see people choosing to make Weyburn their home, rather than just a place to work.
Laura Morrissette, also a first-time candidate, has lived in Weyburn for eight years and has been involved in the community in various roles. She stated that her background in communication makes her a strong representative. Morrissette hopes to help to make Weyburn a place where people want to live and she feels that this is done by maintaining and improving services currently offered by the city.
Mayor Button noted that the demographic of Weyburn is changing from that of a retirement community to one of young families.
For those who would like to become more knowledgeable about local government, Access7 also regularly broadcasts each City Council meeting, which take place on the second and fourth Monday evening of each month.
