MAYORAL RACE
– A challenger announces his bid
A vocal critic of Medicine Hat’s city council will run to become mayor this fall.
Alan Rose, who began commenting publicly on municipal matters several years ago and last year launched the Medicine Hat Ratepayers Association, has announced his intentions for the top job.
He said Monday he will campaign on a platform of cost cutting at city operations, operational reviews, improving services and city promotion.
“I began to see things that were systemically wrong with how we run this city,” he said.
“We have a lot of vision, but no plans.”
He said recent budget cuts passed in December are a good start, but come years after he called for spending restraint.
As well, a new review of power plant assets that could recommend the city exit the business, “came as a surprise to everybody.”
“I’ve said for years that we need to separate out (gas and power) because of the risks,” he said.
The MH Ratepayers Association, which associates itself with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, agreed with that lobby’s suggestion last summer that the city should exit the power business.
He has often questioned the system of city budgeting that provided utility dividends to municipal operations, saying the two should be dealt with individually.
Traditional tax and utility advantages can be brought back, he said, by cutting the city spending and operating utilities as a strict business.
“I love Medicine Hat, I became a fan of it and everything I am is because of it,” he said. There was an advantage to living here. And I want to bring that back.”
Rose, 62, has lived in Medicine Hat since 1987. The grandfather of seven worked as a power engineer before 2008 when he took over managing his investments, including businesses and real estate, full time.
He becomes the first candidate for mayor to publicly declare his nomination.
Ted Clugston, who is serving his second term, has been expected to reveal his intentions at the scheduled State of the City address, set for Tuesday.
Current Councillor, and former mayoral candidate, Phil Turnbull has announced he will seek another term as councillor.
An outline of Rose’s platform provided to the News criticizes council for backtracking on decisions, and cites indecisiveness on issues like the current controversy with the City Centre Development Agency.
Another example, said Rose, is that the city’s fire strategic plan that built new stations over the last six years was designed to save money in the long term, but this year council approved new subdivisions outside the coverage zone and is now subsidizing sprinkler systems.
Council and especially Clugston have heralded that the community, Coulee Ridge, is a much welcome development activity in what was a slow new housing sector.
In terms of investment attraction, said Rose, the city should be “cautious” about engaging large industries, but can make gains.
“I would talk to solid businesses that we have already and seek out complimentary businesses, suppliers,” he said. “That’s how you build a hub.”