Robin Walker vying for councillor spot

Robin Walker is another Lethbridge resident who has decided to throw his hat into the ring for a spot on Lethbridge City Council. Walker has lived in our city for 35 years, and has an accounting degree from the University of Lethbridge. He currently works in real estate appraisal and drives part-time for a taxi company. He says there are a few issues facing Lethbridge that need to be addressed.

“The primary issue would definitely be the social issues with the downtown homelessness and drug crisis. That would be top of mind for most people running for council and mayor. Behind that, I would say the issues of community as a whole. There’s a lot of division and a lot of ill will within the community. I think to work on strengthening our neighbourhoods and bringing people together is another important issue. Then the issue of our tax dollars. Making sure that we’re not gouging residents, and that they’re getting value for the money that they’re spending.”

Walker says he will be focusing on three main platforms of accountability and transparency, cultivating community, and maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“With respect to accountability and transparency, as a city councillor and elected official, that’s very important. We’re there to serve the needs of the public and to be accountable to them. If we make a promise to do something or work towards something, we need to be consistent and make good on that. Should I get elected I’ll be working with other councillors as well. It’s not simply my own will and the will that I perceive that our constituents have that’s necessarily going to get pushed through. With regards to transparency, making sure we have proper reporting, bylaws and policies to encourage that sort of thing.”

“Cultivating community is particularly important to me. I participated in some personal and professional programs where the mantra was that anything can be resolved in community. If you have an issue, you bring it to the community and you’re going to have different perspectives and offers of assistance to be able to work through it. We need to work together as mayor and council, and work together with different organizations throughout the community. Stakeholders, businesses, nonprofits, and citizenry in general. Whether it’s on a volunteer basis or city staff and administration to really make good on these problems we’re facing.”

“With fiscal responsibility we are working with tax dollars that our residents have to pay, so we have to be responsible to them with that. We can’t be spending money on things that only benefit a small portion of the population. For the things we do spend our money on, we want to benefit as many people as possible.”

The option of the implementation of a ward system is on the ballot for the upcoming municipal election on October 18. Walker says he would support voters in whatever they chose.