News

News Release

Councillor Sheena Hughes to Run

for a Second Term on City Council

Representing Integrity of Democratic Processes, Fiscal Responsibility, and Preserving Our Small Town Feel St. Albert, AB – Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017 “One of the most important principles I value is respecting the will of the public and ensuring that the public maintains control over how their city is run. What ultimately made my decision to run for a second term was a recent notice of motion to nullify the plebiscite vote on a second library, pool and ice sheet that I worked hard to get approved at council. I want to make sure that decision making on big issues is done by the public through votes, not in the backrooms through handshakes. I fundamentally believe that the public should be in charge of how our city is run.” While on council I have been pleased to be able to work with my peers to promote and support important legislation such as the internal auditor, the council code of conduct and the integrity commissioner and a whistle-blower policy. These policies and practices will help to ensure that future councils are more democratic, more accountable, that our city is run more efficiently and our staff are empowered to serve the public. I have a dedicated record of asking the tough questions to improve accountability and improve city performance. As a result of my efforts, the tax increases have been reduced up to a percent each year. I would like the opportunity to continue this level of scrutiny and diligence to ensure residents are getting the best value for their tax dollars. I have found efficiencies such as the unnecessary budget to remodel the legion airplane interior, gas, diesel and insurance premium pricing corrections and other savings that have helped to reduce your taxes. I also proposed a library space solution for under a million dollars as an alternative solution to the library branch borrowing bylaw of $21.9 million dollars. I will continue to work to provide value for our tax dollars by finding budget efficiencies without affecting service levels. This coming term I will work to ensure that big ticket items have public support before tax dollars are committed and that your money is not controlled by special interest groups. I will take action to reverse the large tax increase that occurred in our water bills in 2015 by restoring proper provincial funding back into our utility rate model. I will support real solutions to reduce traffic congestion, collaborate with downtown businesses and landlords to reduce vacancies, work to preserve our small town character with a dedication to greenspace and encourage the development of new park space for all of us. I am excited to be running for a second term and look forward to working with a great team to represent the will of the people and improve the quality of life of all residents should I be re-elected. Sheena Hughes