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Municipal election issues to watch for this fall

We are fast approaching another municipal election campaign throughout Saskatchewan.
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We are fast approaching another municipal election campaign throughout Saskatchewan.

The nomination period is getting started, and I plan to keep a close eye on City Hall and Town Hall as they post the names of those who have filed nomination papers to run for mayor or councillor in North Battleford and Battleford.

Personally, my only hope is that there is a race! The 2012 election race was pretty sad on both sides of the river. In fact, there was no race for mayor at all. Both Ian Hamilton in North Battleford and Derek Mahon in Battleford won by acclamation!

It made for a spectacularly boring municipal campaign. Folks, I want a real contest this time, so if you want to shake up the direction of things locally, get organized and run for office. As the saying goes, if you don’t run, you don’t get to whine.

With that out of the way, here are some issues candidates in North Battleford and Battleford will have to address not only in this campaign, but also in the next four years if elected.

The biggest one municipalities are facing is the aftermath of the Husky oil spill in the North Saskatchewan River. This is a major issue for North Battleford when it comes to the operation of the F.E. Holliday water treatment plant and its river intakes.

Voters will want to know what the future holds for the water supply. What should be the future direction of North Battleford? Should they build more groundwater wells? Can we count on the river water being safe? Are we sure Husky will pay all the reparations?

What about the town of Battleford? In the wake of the oil spill Battleford now provides some of its water supply to North Battleford. How long can this last?  

It’s not just water — sewer, waste management, underground pipes and road conditions are all the basic issues any councillor will need to address.

In North Battleford a big issue is bound to be the future of the downtown core. Is enough being done to revive downtown?

Where do candidates stand on the new Magic Lantern movie theatre coming to King Street Station? Do they support the deal North Battleford made to sell the land for $1 to get the theatre built?  

What about parking? Will there be enough parking to handle the number of cars downtown? Another issue you might want an answer from candidates on is where they stand on the idea of bringing back parking meters to the downtown core. 

Just for fun, you might ask the Battleford candidates if this is a good idea for Battleford, too.

What about downtown Battleford? What does the future hold for the old post office? Could council have it declared a heritage site to prevent it from the wrecking ball?    

What about a new post office? Where should it go? How much control does council really have on this issue?    

Another issue is the future of the Battleford liquor store and its impending privatization. What should council do? What can they do?

You may want to find out where the candidates stand on development in general throughout North Battleford and Battleford, beyond the downtown areas.

Are you satisfied with North Battleford’s spending priorities? Do you support the Underground Pipes and Roads levy? How about the recreational facilities levy?

How about Saskatchewan Hospital? Their fundraising campaign has approached both City and Town councils asking them to introduce an annual levy to pay for furniture and equipment at its new building. It could be a hefty price tag. Voters, what do you think? 

How about tax assessment? Some business leaders want to see it based on an “income approach” where revenue from operations is factored in. Is that the way to go?

The province recently cut funding to the river valley. What should be done about that?

What is the future for transit in North Battleford? Here’s a question for Battleford voters: is expansion of North Battleford transit routes to Battleford something you would like to see?

Councils all across Saskatchewan are dealing with new municipal conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements. Are these enough?  

Here is a hot issue in Saskatoon: candidates say City officials should release preliminary municipal budget numbers before the election. Should that happen here?

Another issue in Saskatoon: a debate on whether to build a new arena downtown. North Battleford faces a similar issue. The Civic Centre has only a decade left in its lifespan.

What should the next steps be? Where should a facility be located, and should it be one rink or two? Maybe North Battleford shouldn’t replace the Civic Centre at all. Maybe you’d rather see renovations.

Battleford voters, should your town’s taxpayer dollars help fund a new facility?

Public safety is always of great importance. Do you feel safe in your neighbourhood?

Is North Battleford on the right track with the HUB and other initiatives? Is “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design” really the way forward? What do you think of the City’s new Community Safety Officers?

What about efforts to address poverty and homelessness in the community?

Another issue: census numbers and implications for the cost of policing. The City’s cost-share of RCMP could increase from 70 to 90 per cent if the population goes over 15,000. This could be a huge issue for City Hall next term.

As for Battleford, how can the town deal more effectively with property crime, and the rising costs of policing? Also, should Battlefords RCMP be encouraged to open an office in Battleford that could be visible and enhance enforcement?

Last but not least: somebody in the Battlefords will surely mention amalgamation again.   

Of course, other issues besides these may matter to you, and the candidates may have other ideas as well. This is what elections are supposed to be about, engaging the voters.

Hopefully, you will have something to think about for the campaign ahead. At the very least, this should give you ideas about some good questions to ask the candidates over the next few weeks.