Why do you look so pleased with yourself?
Because today we’re going to talk about one of my favourite things.
Icelandic love poetry? The War of the Spanish Succession? Dialectical materialism?
No. Municipal politics!
Really? The poetry sounds more interesting.
That’s where you’re wrong my pasty friend. Municipal politics are the most interesting kind of politics.
Stop being weird.
No, think about it. Trade wars and tsunamis may get more headlines. But the decisions made by your local government have a far more immediate impact on your day to day lives than anything the feds or the province do.
Oh alright. I’m not convinced, but let’s get this over with. What do we need to know?
This is an election year in Drayton Valley, Brazeau County, Breton, Yellowhead County, Parkland County and every other place in Alberta.
And?
And that means we’ll be choosing the people who will be making decisions on our behalf for the next four years.
Hmmm. That sounds a little risky. What kind of decisions?
Decisions about things like sewers, snow removal …
Yawn
… and taxes.
Taxes! I don’t like the sound of that.
I thought that might get your attention. Here’s a bit more info.
There are six council seats in both Drayton Valley and Brazeau County, along with a special fancy seat for the mayor or reeve. And, like an air conditioner on a hot summer night, the race to fill those seats is very much on. A few people have already put their name forward, and we’ll probably see more now we’re moving into August.
So what are the big issues?
I suspect a lot of folks in town would like to hear what a newly elected council will do about the issue of homelessness, although anyone who has an easy answer to that one probably hasn’t understood the question.
Anything else?
Well, there are the aforementioned taxes, which nobody seems particularly keen on, but simply refuse to go away. Aside from that, roads and paving are always big issues in the county. And I’ve heard some rumblings about a proposal for amalgamation, which would see the Town and the County merge to become a single entity. That’s an idea that seems to come up every few years and is guaranteed to make some people Extremely Angry.
Right. I always enjoy a little righteous fury, as long as it’s not directed at me. When is this election happening?
Mark October 20 on your calendar with a big red X. And as a bonus, you get to vote for the school board trustees that day too.
October 20? That’s not for ages.
It’ll be here faster than you think. In the interim, perhaps we can pass the time talking about the War of the Spanish Succession.
I should have seen that coming.
That’s something we can both agree on.
