(Photo: City of Red Deer website)

By Troy Gillard

vote coming up this fall

Most of city council not yet ready to declare election intentions

Jan 6, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Nominations for this year’s Municipal Election on October 18 are now being accepted thanks to changes to the Local Election Act. Most members of Red Deer city council, however, say it’s too early to say whether they plan to seek re-election.

Only one current city councillor, Vesna Higham, says she’s already made the decision to seek another term in office.

“While there have been a number of challenging issues before council thus far this term, I very much enjoy this work and the opportunity to represent the citizens of our community,” Higham told rdnewsNOW. “I have a great deal of passion and resolve to advocate for the best interests of our public, as well as the individual issues and concerns that often arise.”

Most of her colleagues say they’ll be taking more time before deciding whether to let their names stand again on the ballot this fall.

“I do enjoy serving my community and hopefully doing positive things for it. Nevertheless, I won’t be making any decisions about staying on council until summer,” said first-term City Councillor Michael Dawe.

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Councillor Dianne Wyntjes says she’ll decide whether to seek a fourth term on city council in May or June.

Tanya Handley, who is in her second term on council, says she will finalize her decision in “late spring.”

Ken Johnston says he will be talking with family, peers and community members before deciding whether to seek a third term.

“My decision will be made at the latest, by mid-May, the first farmers market. That’s the date I chose for both prior election campaigns. No matter the decision, the trust of our citizens has made it possible for me to have spent these past seven years and the coming ten months in a fulfilling labour of love for this great city.”

Higham, Johnston, Dawe all say they have no intentions of running for mayor.

Buck Buchanan, who is currently serving his fourth term on city council, tells rdnewsNOW he’s not ready to announce his intentions at this time.

(rdnewsNOW is awaiting replies from councillors Lawrence Lee and Frank Wong regarding their election intentions.)

Mayor Tara Veer said in her year-end interview in December that she won’t be announcing anytime soon whether she’ll be seeking a third-term in the mayor’s chair.

“I am focused on governing right now and I always make my election announcements usually in the summer prior to an election,” Veer shared.

“I personally have the very strong opinion that I have a mandate to serve the public. I believe the public right now needs me to govern and not politic – particularly given the economic circumstances that our community is in, responding to the pandemic and the fact that we have very significant challenges and many issues that we need to follow through and take action on in the interest of Red Deerians.”