Email questions - addiction, non-profits, firefighters, priorities

QUESTION 1: What role do you believe the City should play in addressing crime & addiction issues within our community?

MY ANSWER: I think the City’s role should be more about coordination and support, not direct management. The recent Chamber of Commerce study made it pretty clear that what we’re doing now isn’t working, and that we need a more unified, community-wide effort. I’d like to see the City work closely with social service agencies, health care providers, and law enforcement—but at arm’s length. That means less municipal money spent running programs ourselves, and more focus on helping third-party organizations do their jobs effectively. The City can still help by providing or building facilities—things like shelter space, tiny homes, or recovery centers—and then leasing or renting them to qualified operators. We should also draw a firm line: no safe injection or “safe supply” sites in Red Deer. Instead, we need a permanent shelter, proper treatment options, and a path to reintegration for those ready to turn their lives around. And for those who refuse help, we have to push harder toward rehabilitation and recovery—because letting people live and die on the streets isn’t compassion, it’s neglect.


QUESTION 2: What are your thoughts on the concerns being raised by Red Deer’s firefighters in their current public campaign, and how would you approach this issue if elected?

MY ANSWER: This really comes down to communication and being aware of problems before they get out of control. When 99% of Red Deer’s firefighters voted non-confidence in their Fire Chief, that should have been the first red flag to Council that something was seriously wrong.
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Our firefighters know better than anyone what’s needed to keep Red Deerians safe. I fully support our emergency services—especially the boots on the ground. Dynamic staffing should never drop below the minimum safe level of four firemedics per engine or pumper. That’s the baseline we cut to, not below. We need to add about 50 more firemedics by the end of 2026. More personnel means less overtime, fewer exhausted and overworked staff, and ultimately fewer injuries and sick days. That’s better for our firefighters, their families, and our entire city.

We also need to be looking ahead and planning for a sixth fire station, ideally breaking ground by 2035. The communication breakdown between the City and our firefighters should never have happened, and if elected, I’ll make sure those lines of communication stay open. When our first responders are supported and heard, everyone in Red Deer is safer.


QUESTION 3: How do you see the relationship between the City and local nonprofits or community agencies?

MY ANSWER: I believe the City needs to rely more on local nonprofits and community agencies when it comes to addressing social issues. These organizations are already doing great work in our community, and partnering with them—rather than trying to manage everything directly—takes the burden off taxpayers while still helping those in need. The City’s main focus should be on core services—the essentials that keep Red Deer running safely and efficiently. That means public safety (police, fire, EMS), public works (water, sewer, roads, waste management), and maintaining vital infrastructure. It’s not about taking over what community agencies are doing—it’s about supporting and enhancing their efforts at arm’s length. By empowering nonprofits and local partners to do what they do best, the City can stay focused on its core responsibilities while making sure residents get the help and services they need.


QUESTION 4: What are your top three priorities that you would like to implement immediate change for in Red Deer?

MY ANSWER: a. Protecting Our Community — Ensuring stable funding and proper staffing for Fire Services and EMS so Red Deer remains safe and ready.
b. Safe, Beautiful Neighborhoods — Supporting efforts to reduce vandalism/graffiti, promoting equality and neighborhood pride as Red Deerians.
c. Revitalizing Downtown — Making downtown safer and more accessible, helping local businesses, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, improving parking, and redeveloping underused properties.


QUESTION 5: Red Deer faces some strong divides on issues. How would you help bring people together and lead those conversations constructively?

MY ANSWER: By actually doing what every incumbent has promised for years but failed to deliver—real transparency, accountability, and open communication with the public, not at them. We need more town hall and roundtable meetings where residents can speak directly with council members, not just listen to reports. I’d also use social media as a two-way tool to keep conversations going between meetings so people feel heard and involved in real time. It’s also about bringing groups together instead of keeping them apart. I’d work with different community and special interest groups to encourage collaboration and create collective voices—like forming a society focused on homelessness and drug addiction that includes the City, nonprofits, and residents. When people feel they’re genuinely part of the discussion, they’re more likely to work together instead of against each other. That’s how we start bridging the divides in Red Deer..

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ADDED ON FACEBOOK AFTER EMAIL SENT: I'd also mentioned about a $50,000 grant to Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society to bring Memorial Center / Festival Hall up to the 21st century with the capability of livestreaming, recording and sharing public events that take place there.

Also, who came up with this horrible design for Council chambers? It was definitely designed with the intent that Council appear on a pedestal above the residents. At the very least the seating for observers should be on risers so they can actually see the council and not just the back of their heads. This is the first Council Chamber I've been in where residents are seated with Council members backs to them. Very strange set-up.

Ways Councillors can communicate with public: town hall or open mic meetings once a month (like Gareth Scott For Mayor suggested at Parkland Mall -let's open a space there with volunteers who promote the 'non-tourist' side of our city (displaying project plans, etc when it's not being used for public meetings), social media - X, Facebook, Instagram (let's see Council out and about in the community and talking about how and why they voted on particular motions), more public meetings involving developments or spending over $1 Million, and more.
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