Where have all the fine candidates gone?
In past Red Deer municipal elections, reams of candidates have stepped forward to throw their hats in the ring for posts as councillor or mayor.
This year, however, we seem to be seriously lacking in both departments.
To date, six people have officially put their names forward as council hopefuls – Jim Watters, Paul Harris, Matt Chapin and Dianne Wyntjes plus incumbents Buck Buchanan and Lynne Mulder who have confirmed their intentions to run. Still undecided at this point are Councillors Cindy Jefferies, Gail Parks, Tara Veer and Frank Wong.
Long-time incumbents Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer and Larry Pimm have decided to call it quits.
And so far, things are looking pretty secure for Mayor Morris Flewwelling, as he currently has no opponents.
In 2004, there were heaps of options in terms of council candidates – 25 to be exact. In 2007, there were 14. That's considerably less, but still a solid slate to choose from.
It was tough for the public to keep them all straight and to really know each individual's platform in order to make informed decisions.
This time around, we have to wonder if there is a lack of interest in municipal politics or if the general public is content with the status quo. If no more people come forward as candidates, it's likely Red Deerians are in for a snoozer of a campaign.
More candidates might mean doing more homework on the part of voters, but at least there is lots of liveliness as they square off in public debate and pound the pavement garnering support.
If there was ever a time when strong, decisive leadership was needed in Red Deer, it's now as the City emerges from the economic downturn and continues to face the challenges of a growing community.
These include everything from keeping pace with infrastructure demands while keeping taxes in check, providing opportunities for affordable housing, keeping criminal activity at bay and continuing to be an attractive destination for business and tourism.
The challenges are there, now all we need are savvy, ambitious and visionary people to step up and help get the job done.
So we're hoping those who are sitting on the fence mulling their options to really consider public office and give this upcoming campaign a go.
Elections, when there is a healthy roster of candidates, are not only more interesting but certainly more in the public's best interest as well.
