Mayor

Question 1

What work experience do you have that’s relevant to the role and how do you feel the skills and perspective you have gained will help you in your role?

Question 2

What do you think are the biggest issues affecting Wood Buffalo / Fort McMurray are, and how would you approach these issues?

Question 3

What do you think is the role of a municipal government? Do you think the Municipality does too many things, not enough, or just the right amount?

Question 4

Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Question 5

Over the next four years, should the Municipality spend less in absolute terms, increase spending but by less than the rate of inflation and population growth, increase by the rate of inflation and population growth, or increase faster than the rate of inflation and population growth?

Question 6

The Municipality often claims that they’ve found savings in various budgets, but instead of actually cutting spending, they just put the savings into a reserve account and then spend that money on other things. If there’s money left over at the end of a financial year, do you think that money should be saved up by the County to spend in future years? Or should it be returned automatically to taxpayers the following year through some kind of rebate?

Question 7

Everyone says they support affordable housing, but what does that term mean for you? Do you think the Municipality should be subsidizing housing for lower-income residents? Or focused on keeping the cost of all housing from getting out of control? Or perhaps some combination of the two? If so, how?

Question 8

How do you view the role of public sector unions in Municipal operations, and what steps would you take to ensure union negotiations do not compromise fiscal responsibility?

Question 9

Businesses are facing rising costs and supply chain challenges due to escalating U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. What, if anything, should Council do to help local businesses manage these impacts?

Question 10

What steps should Council take to reduce regulatory burdens and support small businesses?

Question 11

Do you think the Municipality should be making long-term climate commitments like “net zero by 2050”? How much of a priority should climate change be for Council compared to other issues like affordability, public safety, or infrastructure?

Question 12

Do you believe Councillors should remain part-time, or should the municipality consider transitioning to a full-time council in the future? Why?

Question 13

Municipal elections have historically been contested by independents, but many of our supporters have told us that they’d like to know the political alignment of the candidates as it helps them get a better feel for a candidate's beliefs. So, are you are affiliated with any provincial or federal political parties and, if so, which ones and why?