Friesen to seek re-election to council
Julie Friesen will seek an eighth term on city council hoping to build on current momentum to secure the city’s finances, create new strategy for business units and enhance the local quality of life for residents, she told the News.
“There was a very positive impetus to this term on council,” she said.
“There are things that I’d love to keep working on. I think I brings some knowledge and experience to that being so involved other the years.”
Her announcement leaves only two members of the current nine member council to declare their intentions for the Oct. 18 municipal election.
A majority of those who will run again have said that the last four years have been productive.
Friesen said a move to four-year terms, compared to the previous three, has given time to allow projects to be seen through to completion.
However, she said, the large agenda has been tackled by her and her colleagues, including a “Financially Fit” budget review to replace more than $20 million in lost energy dividends by 2026.
For Friesen, chair of the public services committee, that’s meant cost and fee reviews for such as transit and recreation, which are traditionally expensive to provide, but don’t bring much offsetting revenue.
“Those (services) are the most important thing for me and always have been,” said Friesen. “But to ensure that they are there for our grand children and the next generation, we have to be financially responsible about them too.”
“You have to make those decisions on a large number of factors and for the longterm.”
The review was only one facet of an “extremely busy” term for the committee that oversaw new facility construction at the Canalta Centre, Family Leisure Centre, new trail development, as well as less headlinegrabbing endevours.
Among major items, the Medicine Hat Fire Service is nearing the completion of a reorganization to increase fire coverage.
The replacement of the flood damaged Veiner Centre for seniors programming is underway and is scheduled to open in 18 months.
She also sits on the city’s utility committee which has recently adopted new strategies for petroleum exploration and power production in lieu of volatile markets and new government regulation, respectively. Friesen called both “in depth... very strategic plans” that should be heavily considered.
“It’s not enough to say ‘Oh, they’ve changed the electricity export market’ and throw up your hands,” said Friesen.
“There are opportunities there, and in all our dividend units, that we should be pursuing.”
Friesen works in private career as a community development officer of the provincial government. She and her husband, Howard, have three grown children and three grandchildren.
Ted Clugston has said he will run for a second term as mayor
Four other current councillors — Les Pearson, Brian Varga, Jim Turner and Robert Dumanowski — have registered as candidates.
Current councillor Bill Cocks has said he will run again but has not yet filed with the chief returning officer.
Former alderman Phil Turnbull, former candidate Jim Black as well as Myles Mullholland and Charles Mittelholtz Turner, have also registered as candidates.