Lethbridge’s mayor is seeking re-election in the fall when city residents cast their ballots.
Fiscal responsibility, health and safety and economy and sustainability are key priorities mayoral candidate Blaine Hyggen says are key priorities as he hopes to continue the work Lethbridge council has started this term. Something Hyggen says is extremely important to him is continuing the work for doctor recruitment and retention.
“That advocacy work to make sure that we get the right doctors and specialists into our community, but not only get them in and recruit them, but retain the ones that we have,” Hyggen says. “I’m excited about the cath lab. I want to see that come to fruition as mayor. We continue that work and have that build out and have cardiac sciences right here in Lethbridge.”
Continuing to invest in Lethbridge’s police, fire and emergency services is other work Hyggen says he would like to continue to do and that he is proud of from his four years serving as the city’s mayor. Hyggin adds over the past four years, the work Lethbridge police has done has resulted in a significant decline in crime around the city, which is backed up by Comstat data.
The housing need in the city is something Hyggen would like to work with provincial and federal partners to address.
“We need housing. It’s a struggle within our community and any community at this time. Inventory is way down, which means the cost of housing is way up, which goes to taxation.”
“So the value of your home is higher if there’s less inventory. So we want to have more houses being built and more availability so that the tax rate is lower and your assessed value isn’t going to reflect that incredible tax increase if it really goes up in value. “
According to the incumbent mayoral candidate over his 12 years on council, eight as a councillor and four as mayor he thinks the respect that those on the current council have for one another is important especially as they work together for the needs of the city.
“We may think differently. We may vote differently on topics, but there’s a respect that I don’t believe that I had previously in previous councils,” He says. “Although those councils were amazing, we did some incredible work. It’s just how respectful this council is. It’s been amazing. We get together on a quite regular basis and it’s something that I cherish and something that I think has been important.”
He explains the timing of his announcement comes down to timing and wanting to make sure his decision to run for re-election did not overshadow work that council has been doing. Now he has made the announcement he says it is back to work as per usual with him still as mayor and the city still having a council that will continue to work for the residents until the election in the fall.
However, come fall Hyggen says “vote for me or don’t vote for me. Just please get out, show, you know, democracy in action and get out and vote.”
More information about the mayors re-elction platform can be found here.
