SAY hosts mayoral forum
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
The Strathmore Assembly for Youth (SAY) held a mayoral forum for candidates Steve Grajczyk and Michael Ell on Oct. 9.
The forum, moderated by Sarah McKinnon and Erik Schiiler, was intended to allow a chance for SAY members to find out more about the mayoral candidates.
Ell explained to the audience that he spent years in the corporate sector in the financial, business, and personal income tax and property tax fields. He said he also worked as a salesman, and had been involved in advertising. Ell said he has lived in Strathmore for 35 years and wants to repay the community for all it has done for him and his family.
“With these kinds of experiences that I’ve had, I feel that they are going to benefit me as your mayor,” said Ell.
Grajczyk has also lived in Strathmore for 35 years as a businessman.
“I have done a lot of things in the community, and Strathmore has done a lot for me,” he said. “It is my turn to give back by putting myself in local politics.”
Grajczyk said he feels the best way to give back is by getting into local politics and making the community a better place. He said his experience as general manager with the Strathmore & District Agricultural Society for four years, serving as a town councillor 35 years ago and again these past three years as mayor, and his time as a small business owner, has taught him economics and how to save money. He said he has travelled the world making connections, and has been learning what works in other communities so that he can find ways to make Strathmore a better place to live.
“That’s my goal — to make the community a better place to live for all of you. I want people to grow up in a community that’s safe for the future,” said Grajczyk.
The candidates were asked, “Could you share with us what you tell others when you are talking about Strathmore?”
Ell spoke of his wife, who is originally from Calgary, and how she was wary about moving to Strathmore. Today, he said, she would never move back because she loves it here. He said Strathmore is a warm community that offers the amenities that young people and seniors need.
For his part, Grajczyk said he tells people about how Strathmore is a little community near Calgary, that it is a safe, warm place to grow up in and that there are many amenities.
“We’re a small town with big city amenities here. We have the hospital, we have the swimming pool, we have good parks, we have playgrounds, we have walkways and, thanks to the SAY students, we have a path system that is really useful now,” said Grajczyk. “We have all the things of a big city with a small town attitude, and that is a big plus to everybody.”
The moderators asked the candidates to list their four-year and 10-year goals for the town.
Ell said that in the next four years, town finances need to get under control. He said in the last three years, town debt has increased by $7 million, which is costing $2 million a year to repay.
He said once that is under control, funds could then be used to provide different services and amenities needed in the town. He cited downtown revitalization, which he said will help with the tax base and will improve the financial situation. Ell also said he hopes that in 10 years, the need to keep the farm land will be realized.
“We have to come up with a solution in regards to doing multi-family and multi-story buildings to keep us from using prime farm land. I hope that within 10 years that we start to get to that (mindset) so that we can do that,” said Ell.
Grajczyk said his constant goal is working on getting the industrial park developed. “Without an industrial park, we will not be able to alleviate or keep our taxes at a reasonable level. Those things are big to us, we must encourage it.”
Grajczyk explained the deficit, which he said is not caused by any council or any council member on board right now. Rather, he said the deficit stems from the sewage treatment plant and the water line from Calgary.
“In order to entice people from Calgary you must have these amenities and ones that work with efficiency,” said Grajczyk.
In the last three years the town also had to build the reservoir to be up to code when it came to a safe level of potable water storage in the case of a break in the water line.
Candidates were asked to identify a challenge that Strathmore is currently facing and to explain how they would like to see it solved.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is the hospital — we must keep the hospital open, that is critical to all of us and to the future of Strathmore,” said Grajczyk.
With the extended care wing closed, he added it is important to make sure that part of the hospital is being used is some way. He said there has been discussion with the Alberta Health Minister to find out what the plan is for the empty wing.
Ell agreed about the importance of the hospital. He also said the town needs to address the revitalization of the downtown core.
“When we have people come in to Strathmore and they see all of the empty buildings down there, they wonder why there isn’t a real opportunity for them,” he noted. “I believe if we can use some incentives with our business people downtown, we can encourage them to refurbish the outsides of their buildings and maybe the insides,” said Ell.