With election day just two months away, municipal leaders and former councillors weigh in on what it takes to run for council.
There are currently eight people who have filed notice of intent with the MD of Foothills, including Jay Groeneveld in Division 7, Alan Alger in Division 5, Llana Malmberg in Division 1. In the Town of Okotoks, only Coun. Carrie Fischer has filed her notice of intent – Form 3A – to run for office. She announced her candidacy for mayor at the end of June.
“It seems like everyone’s playing their cards pretty close to their chest,” said Cathy Duplessis, Okotoks returning officer and legislative and policy services manager.
Filing notice of intent allows potential candidates to begin collecting and spending campaign dollars, she said. All candidates are still required to file official nomination papers on Sept. 18, said Duplessis.
In the MD, there is a $200 fee for nominations, and in the Town of Okotoks it costs $250 to run for council and $500 to make a claim for mayor. Nomination forms must also be accompanied by a minimum of five signatures of people eligible to vote in the municipality or rural division where the candidates is running, according to provincial guidelines.
“We usually recommend they have more in case one of the people they have sign isn’t eligible,” said MD of Foothills CAO Harry Riva-Cambrin. “Most people come in with 20 to 30 signatures.”
Though it can sometimes be a thankless job, former MD coun. Ralph Nelson said he misses his seat at the council table.
“I’ve told lots of people that I really miss it, but the one thing I don’t miss is that it took so much time,” he said. “But, I miss the people and I miss being in the loop.”
Nelson said it was difficult to adjust to life as a councillor. It took a lot more hours than he was prepared for, and there was a lot of uncharted territory to navigate, he said.
Nelson’s first term was a struggle as he tried to find his way and learn how to be effective.
“I was a bit like a bull in a china shop,” said Nelson. “I soon found out that if you want to get something done it can’t be just about you and how you want to see things done. You have to figure out a way to work with the council that’s there and after I figured that out I didn’t have so many sleepless nights.”
Prior to that, there had been many times he’d return from a council meeting upset and unsure, he said. It took a while to get used to the notion that while it’s not always going to turn out the way you like, the decisions are made and you need to move on, said Nelson.
“You have to accept and support the decision that was made, even if you didn’t support it in the vote,” he said. “The worst thing you can do is hold a grudge if a decision doesn’t go your way.”
It takes a lot of work to take a seat on MD council, from sitting on a number of committees to attending weekly meetings, but it’s a very rewarding job, he said.
When projects get completed, such as building Crescent Point Regional Field House, Seaman Arena at Heritage Heights, or redesigning 498 Avenue just outside High River, it makes all the hours worthwhile, said Nelson.
Being on council also provides new insight into how things work, he said.
“Before I got involved in government, there was this view that it didn’t get a lot of things right, but I certainly, after spending nine years on council, saw just how much work goes into it all,” said Nelson. “You have a lot more appreciation for it and a lot more respect for government than when you’re on the outside looking in.”
Former Okotoks mayor Bill McAlpine agreed, saying that being a councillor or mayor is a “big job.” There are always things to do and avenues to be exploring for the betterment of the town and its residents, he said.
“I said when I ran for mayor that I consider it a full-time job, and I did it as a full-time job,” he said. “There’s a lot to do, and getting to know people in government and in the town itself.”
Getting to know constituents and stakeholders is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, he said.
“Know the people who are signing the pay cheque, I always said, and know what they want or don’t want to see,” said McAlpine. “But, also stick to your guns.”
Having been a councillor in the ‘70s, McAlpine had an idea of what he was getting into when he threw his name in the running for mayor in 1998. He’d learned a lot of the ropes from Mayor Pat Milligan, who led the town from 1968 to 1977, he said.
The main thing he learned and carried into his own 12 years as mayor was to put in the time and make Okotoks and its residents the focus. He also learned never to back down.
When fighting to get the second vehicle bridge over the Sheep River, McAlpine said he had the phone number of the transportation minister’s secretary written on his garage wall, and he spoke to her at least twice per week, and eventually she started lobbying on his behalf.
“You have to be stubborn and stick to your guns,” said McAlpine. “People need to remember they’re not in the job to make friends, they’re in it to put in the time and do what needs to be done.”
