Candidate profile: Chad Krahn

Byelection hours on April 22 are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Learn more here.

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1. Why are you the right candidate?

I see hope!

My most important role is that of husband and father to my five kids, two of whom are foster children. I love my kids dearly but sometimes my wife and I have to change things up so they live up to their potential.

We chose to raise our family in Red Deer and while I’m proud of this city – I also don’t see us living up to our potential. How do I know? I ran in the last election and have stayed involved ever since – writing for the local media and summarizing City Council meetings for Common Sense Red Deer. I’ve observed our trajectory through the lens of serving on various boards, community associations and political positions.

I’ve concluded that Red Deer has the potential to be the most strategically important city in Western Canada. The canvas of our city is primed for serious transformations, fueled by pivotal initiatives such as Red Deer Polytechnic’s Centre for Innovation and Manufacturing and the Regional Airport expansion – see more at chadkrahn.ca.

It’s a grand vision, and I know we can get there. Are you with me?

Bringing a vision to life starts by taking the first steps like The Next Simple Thing to make this City better. This is a focus on incremental improvement that needs to be part of our DNA. It should guide how we function as a City – from how we interact as neighbours (practice your wave) to how work gets done at City Hall. We must always be striving to be better, looking for ways to try new ideas even at a small scale.

Our best stories as a City haven’t been told yet. We are on the cusp of so many Made in Red Deer solutions, which will be a credit to the great people who call this place home. I understand Red Deerians don’t want drastic changes or cuts to services – I know we can achieve remarkable growth by starting small.

Let’s do The Next Simple Thing to make our cities, and our communities, better.

My kids will thank you for it.

2. What personal priorities for the remainder of this council term do you want to highlight?

Did you ever wonder why we’re missing out on the growth building across Alberta?

We seem to be caught in the status quo. Rising taxes and limited progress are becoming the norm. We can’t keep doing the same things and expecting different results.

Why are similar-sized cities outpacing us?

· Lethbridge has a “Team Lethbridge” approach, where a separate economic development agency, City, Chamber, public institutions, and builders all work together.

· Sylvan Lake is outpacing us in single family home builds, and

· Even Grande Prairie is doing a better job of telling their story.

We need to urgently:

· Tackle the bureaucratic barriers that are holding back our growth,

· Cut through red tape, and

· Update our business practices.

Within 90 days of my election, I’ll bring forward a notice of motion to address our lack of housing. I want to see the City review all the ways they deal with developers and builders to understand why the communities around us are building homes at a much faster rate. I also want to see an update on the recommendations that Council received on affordable housing.

Taken together these initiatives will start to unleash Red Deer’s untapped potential.

3. To you, what makes Red Deer special?

Red Deer is positioned to become the most strategically important city in Western Canada. Do you want to be part of it? Let’s focus on unlocking our city’s potential and strive for a brighter future.

Red Deer could so much more.

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by rdnewsNOW staff

Candidate profile: Chad Krahn

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