Candidate Survey Results
Candidate running for Mayor **Late Entry**
1
Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitilization Zone Question:
What is your position on Revitalization of downtown Lethbridge?
Answer
The revitalization of downtown Lethbridge is key in continued growth for our city. A strong urban core leans itself to a sense of community and is economically a great idea. More development needs to occur that combines retail with residential and we need to think more about stopping urban sprawl and developing new infill and condominium projects.
2
Greensence/SAGE/KLEW question 1:
Human activities are contributing to global warming and climate change. Please choose from:
Agree
Disagree
It's complicated
Answer
Agree
Comment
The science doesn't lie. Lethbridge will soon experience further extremes in weather and we need to have plans in place for it.
3
Greensence/SAGE/KLEW question 2:
The Environment Lethbridge Council have requested a seed grant of $120,000/year from City Council. Would you support the City providing seed money for the Environment Lethbridge Council? Please choose:
Agree
Disagree
It's complicated
Answer
Agree
Comment
With direction and assurances of partnership it would help in ensuring we were not so far behind environmentalism as our other civic counterparts.
4
Greensence/SAGE/KLEW question 3:
Do you support expanding the City's waste management plan to include curbside recycling? Please choose
Agree
Disagree
It's complicated
Answer
Agree
Comment
We are way late in joining this game, and need to do it as soon as possible. We need the best solution to ensure our residents and businesses are able to take responsibility for our environment. Many are willing to do so with the current system, but transportation, convenience and access are all problems for a large portion of our population and need a better system. I would personally hope that organic recycling is part of that program.
5
Greensence/SAGE/KLEW question 4:
Some cities, like Medicine Hat offer incentives to utility consumers to improve their homes and reduce utility use. Are you in favour of implementing a similar incentive program in Lethbridge to encourage residents, businesses, and the City itself to reduce their carbon footprint? Please choose:
Yes
No
Answer
Yes
Comment
This is a bit misleading, but you didn't put a its complicated section here. I think it is our job to get out of the way of people that wish to do this on there own. We should be encouraging, not hampering the people that would like to have renewable energy (ie solar). We should have a curbside recycling program that we can monitor and encourage people to use by statistics of decreasing landfill use. We should as a city, be taking these measures ourselves and reducing the cost of city utility.
6
Greensence/SAGE/KLEW question 5:
In 2012, Lethbridge City Council adopted a non-binding resolution opposing the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling for oil and gas within municipal limits. Would you actively seek to enforce this resolution? Please choose:
Full Ban
Non biding resolution
No position
Support fracking
Answer
Full Ban
Comment
This is a provincial matter to decided, but as council we are the head of a 90,000 person lobby group that needs to be mobilized through media and a public relations campaign to ensure that it does not happen in Lethbridge. The Government of AB may be able to sell the rights, but we as a voting presence in AB should be able to prevent this from happening by reminding the Province that they work for us too.
7
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 1:
What is your position on Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) and the function they serve in the future growth of the City of Lethbridge? Please choose:
Oppose P3s
No opinion
Support P3s
Answer
Support P3s
Comment
I support P3s and would like to see these relationships continue for many projects where appropriate.
8
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 2:
Is the contracting out of public services necessary to the operations of the City of Lethbridge? Please choose:
Yes
No
Unsure
Answer
Unsure
Comment
What services? Does it mean job loss to civic employees? Should we not be looking at improved efficiency to ensure that we do not lose control over quality of service? Is it a new service that another company is proven in?
9
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 3:
Buy-local or Made-in-Canada purchasing policies should be supported even if they result in higher costs. Please choose:
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Answer
Somewhat agree
Comment
I personally believe in this policy and think that it is part of governments job to ensure these companies can be competitive whenever possible. Tendering is right for the finances of the city, but we need to look at why we are having to buy outside the country.
10
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 4:
Closure of Federal Government service offices and reductions in Provincial funding to post-secondary education have implications to the community of Lethbridge in terms of service loss and job loss. What is your position on these closures and reductions and, as a municipal leader, what should the City’s role be when the decisions of other levels of government affect citizens of Lethbridge?
Answer
Again, the Council as a whole should be acting as the head of a 90000 person lobby group. We need to emphasize to other levels of government what the implications of these actions will be to our population and make sure that our messages are being heard.
11
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 5:
Most of our public services and facilities have a user fee but the City subsidizes the cost of the facility or service. What is your position on the subsidization of public services and facilities? Please choose from:
Users should not pay at all so that everyone can access the service.
Small user fees should be charged but I would consider waiving them for low income people, students, and seniors.
A user fee should be charged to all users.
The City should not be subsidizing someone’s hobbies or recreation.
Answer
A user fee should be charged to all users.
Comment
In a perfect world, user fees would not be necessary because revenue was coming from other areas. In this world, user fees are necessary but I do believe that its the city's obligation to ensure access for all citizens, regardless of economic status. I am in favour of subsidies to ensure that access to service.
12
Lethbridge & District Labour Council question 6:
The City of Lethbridge should endorse an expanded Canada Pension Plan strategy and implement a Living Wage policy.Please choose from:
Strongly disagree.
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
Answer
Somewhat agree
Comment
This is a stategy that needs to be looked at and developed by the Federal government, but we should be looking at it on a local level to see what is necessary for our citizens.
13
Play Local question 1:
Which of these approaches do you favour and explain why you favour this approach in the comment section.Please select:
Building infrastructure and facilities to meet current needs in order to keep taxes low
Investing additional funds to accommodate future growth
Answer
Building infrastructure and facilities to meet current needs in order to keep taxes low
Comment
No comment.
14
Play Local question 2:
These three projects may come up in the next community improvement plan process:
- Performing Arts Centre
- Developing the Exhibition Park
- Completion of the final phase of the Crossings Ice Complex.
If you could only fund one of these projects which would you choose? Please explain your choice in the comment section.
If you could only fund one of these projects which would you choose? Please explain your choice in the comment section.
Answer
Performing Arts Centre
Comment
The Performance Arts Centre is necessary for the continuation of growth in our city. The Yates is outdated and small for our population and is also booked for 300 days of the year. We need a new facility for not only the Arts, but to enable us to host larger scale convention events.
15
Play Local question 3:
During the last phase of the 2013 CIP, only the aquatic portion of the leisure centre was approved. What would be your commitment to having the final phase (the fieldhouse portion of the centre) completed?
Answer
No answer
16
Play Local question 4:
The Recreation and Culture Master Plan report commissioned by the City of Lethbridge found that Lethbridge has inadequate recreation facilities. Why do you think that this situation developed and what would you do to rectify this?
Answer
The situation developed because of over development and urban sprawl. Because we now cover increasing land mass, we need more recreation in more areas than before. We should look directly at the recreation needs of each community and come up with plans based on least amount of access.
17
Sik-Ooh-Kotoki Friendship Society question:
Many Lethbridge residents with First Nations' Status face considerable difficulty when accessing services in the City of Lethbridge. As Status holders, they are referred to support on reserve. On reserve, they are referred to services in the city as they are residents of Lethbridge. As an elected official, how would you propose to remediate these gaps in service and accessibility issues?
Answer
We need to continue our relationships with the many social agencies in Lethbridge that are addressing these and other problems with our Aboriginal citizens. We need to provide leadership and be a role model ensuring that no one is forgotten in our struggle to be inclusive. We need to keep better trends on the homeless and under housed populations, and ensure that we are providing the support necessary to all agencies, plus the proper training to all of the Police force. Big shout out to our Regional Police that were the only members of a Police Force at this years Harm Reduction Conference in Calgary.
18
Group question 1:
On council, would you activily support the following?
Ward system for electing councillors? Please choose:
Yes
No
Unsure
Answer
Yes
19
Group question 1b:
On council, would you activily support the following?
Councillor become a full-time position? Please choose:
Yes
No
Unsure
Answer
Yes
20
Group question 2:
The City of Lethbridge is a signatory to the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination. In addition to this, do you support the allocation of additional financial resources to create local initiatives that foster the city's commitment to inclusion? In the comment box please elaborate on your answer. Please choose:
Yes
No
Unsure
Answer
Yes
Comment
We have a long way to go in Lethbridge to consider ourselves completely inclusive. We already are working towards this goal but so much more needs to be done and the agencies that are primarily doing the work, need our support.
21
Group question 3:
Do you support a bylaw that ensures all buildings serving the public (existing, renovated and new) are physically accessible? Please elaborate on your answer in the comment section. Please choose:
Yes
No
Unsure
Answer
It's complicated
Comment
All city owned buildings definitely need to be completely accessible, but when it comes to small business, this can sometimes be too much of a financial burden. We need to encourage and promote accessibility as much as possible and look at different ways to ensure the smaller business people can achieve complete accessibility.
22
Group question 4:
The following are some of the issues you may be asked to address on City Council. Please choose no more than your top 5 priorities.
- Affordable and plentiful family recreational and leisure opportunities
- Bikeable city
- Frequent and accessible public transportation
- Vibrant downtown
- Available low-income housing
- Community gardens
- Residential waste reduction
- Reduced administration costs at City Hall
- Promotion of Lethbridge as a “City of Choice” for skilled workers
- Low residential taxes
- Reduced business licensing costs
- No Herbicide city policy
- Municipal Food policy
- City operated curbside recycling
- A third bridge to the West
- Airport enhancement
- Other (please explain in comment box below)
Answer
Frequent and accessible public transportation, Available low-income housing, City operated curbside recycling, Residential waste reduction, Vibrant downtown
Comment
No comment.
Candidate Details
Simpson comes from a background of over 25 years of community involvement, which includes over $100,000 raised for not-for-profit organizations. He has served as Chairperson of several organizations in three provinces.
His most recent contract position was with the Lethbridge HIV Connection, serving in community outreach, where he worked directly with many not-for-profit organizations. Through this position, Simpson developed an understanding and commitment to the values and everyday problems that face constituents. He is seeking this office as the vehicle with which to address these concerns.