All of the Town of Westlock’s sitting councillors have announced their intention to run in the Oct. 16 municipal election.
Councillors Clem Fagnan, David Truckey, Curtis Snell, Murtaza Jamaly and John Shoemaker are all seeking re-election — Wyatt Glebe gave up his seat in July following his move to St. Albert.
All of the incumbents praised each other’s work ethic and said that while they did not always agree, they certainly enjoyed working together. They also cited similar concerns for the town going forward, including drainage, working with the new Municipal Government Act (MGA), covering policing costs and replacing aging infrastructure.
Shoemaker said he was originally planning to hang his hat after the first term, but with the departure of Wyatt Glebe he was encouraged to run again by mayor Ralph Leriger.
“Ralph (Leriger) said he needed a numbers man,” said Shoemaker.
“I think the world of Ralph, he’s so dedicated. There’s a lot of unfinished business, and there’s going to be a lot more headaches in the upcoming term than in the last one.”
Highlighting his work with Citizens on Patrol, Shoemaker noted that the major highlight for him was how well council got along.
“A lot of people see a lot of positives here now, I’m very happy with that,” he said. “We made some strategic hires, put a plan together and we worked towards it.”
While most of the councillors have had four years to reflect on, Jamaly, who joined council after winning a byelection in 2015, noted that his time on council has been both enjoyable and surreal.
“Over the last two years, I have focused on the relationships in our community. I have spoken to business owners that have commented directly upon the improved relationship that the town has with the business community,” said Jamaly, who highlighted his work with Family Community Support Services as his biggest accomplishment on council.
“My fellow councillors have brought such a diverse range of skills to the table. The debate has been vigorous at times but we have always pulled together for what is best for our community. We have celebrated together, laughed together and learned together. It has been my honour to work with our current mayor and councillors.”
Snell highlighted his work chairing the Regional Waste Commission as a major highlight of his time on council. He noted that much of his goals on council were met in the first time, including improving clarity on development regulations and bringing in more business to the community.
“I see lots of potential in this community to grow and prosper,” he said.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for people to view Westlock as a very innovative place to live, work and invest in.”
With four terms under his belt already, Coun. Truckey noted that the current council was probably the best run yet.
He anticipated changes to the MGA would keep the job interesting going forward, noting that the sitting councillors were up to the task.
“This council has been very cohesive and very enjoyable to work with,” he said. “More than ever, we’re a very unified group of people.”
Truckey noted one major issue facing the town was drainage and its aging infrastructure, noting that thunderstorms seem to be getting increasingly violent.
“We’ve got to get all that water to somewhere else,” he said.
For his part, Fagnan said that he enjoyed his last term and cited the formation of Homeland Housing as a major accomplishment of his term.
He also cited the town’s updated property assessment as a milestone for both the town and local businesses.
“As a realtor, the assessment was where it should be. Houses seem to sell better when they’re at the assessed price,” he said, adding that he wanted to see more work on Westlock’s downtown core.
He noted that he would like to stick around to help the town work its way through regional collaboration and figuring out it’s policing costs. He noted that working on council helped keep him busy.
“My life might turn out boring if I didn’t run.”
