Red Deer County welcomes new council

Brent Ramsay

Mayor Brent Ramsay said he’s looking forward to getting to work after taking some time to celebrate his victory on election day.

He explained that he ran on a campaign of leadership and is looking forward to helping council work together.

“We have lots of new faces around the table, and we’re going to have some new ideas, so I’m really excited about that,” he said. “The biggest thing is to be working together, and of course, I have a few platform items I ran on as well that I’m excited to bring to our strategic planning session.”

A full story of our interview with Ramsay will be published on rdnewsNOW.com soon.

Lee Girard

Councillor Lee Girard said being elected for his first term has finally sunk in, and he is looking forward to getting into office to make some positive changes for the community.

His goals are focused on improving the financial status of Red Deer County.

“I’ll be focusing solely on, in my opinion, getting the county back on track financially,” he said. “We’re going to review the budget, we’re going to take a hard look at where we’re spending money, and try to be as responsible as we can.”

Kelli Ritz

Councillor Kelli Ritz said it’s very exciting to officially become a councillor and explained the swearing-in ceremony made it that much more real.

“Now, I’m ready to get to work, so I’m really excited, and this ceremony was really lovely. We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve had such an in-depth orientation, so I’m thankful to county staff and administration for preparing us,” she said.

Over the next four years, she hopes to ensure she represents her division and the entire county to the best of her ability.

“I’m just really hoping to bring my passion and enthusiasm to the county council and to make a positive impact,” she added.

Dana Depalme

Councillor Dana Depalme said she’s looking forward to the new term.

She believes that lots will be accomplished, but as the longest serving member on council, she admitted there will be a learning curve with how many new faces there are.

“Hopefully I can help and guide as much as I can since I’m the one who’s been here the longest at this point,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

She explained that the prior council set a lot of things in motion that still need to be accomplished. She hopes to continue that, as well as look at some new goals that they’ll be discussing soon in strategic planning.

Julie Brewster

Councillor Julie Brewster said after orientation week, she’s excited to get started.

“Now it feels real, and now it’s really hitting home,” she said.

She plans to represent her division to the best of her ability as well as the county as a whole.

“It’s all about the broader goal,” she said. “I don’t have overriding goals; it was mostly just to make sure that such a wealthy, vibrant area can keep moving forward into the future.”

Carly Anna Hansen

Councillor Carly Anna Hansen said she’s excited because serving on council was something she had always hoped to do.

“I’m just really looking forward to what we’re learning right now, and my goal is just to be a big voice for Red Deer County and for Division 5,” she said. “I hope to speak up for what people want out in our neck of the woods.”

Ryanna Hansen

Councillor Ryanna Hansen said officially becoming a councillor was a surreal moment.

“So far, everybody has been super supportive, including administration, all the other council members, and Mayor Ramsay. I couldn’t be happier with the group we have,” she said.

She hopes to improve transparency between the council, the county, and its citizens.

“We need more consultation from constituents and rate payers. Just having them involved in those decisions we make because it’s not about me,” she said. “It’s something that’s on everybody’s minds.”

by Ian Gustafson

Red Deer County welcomes new council

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