The municipal race is well at hand, and we have less than three weeks before the Oct. 18 vote to determine who will lead us for the next four years.
It will be a time filled with questions, all kinds of them — an important and informative journey for voters.
It must be exactly that.
Selecting the stewards of our municipalities and school boards will determine how the money we work hard to earn, and give to our elected officials in the form of taxes, will be spent.
Not a single voter should take the decision lightly.
The questions we ask potential new and incumbent candidates should be tough and plentiful and run the full gamut of any and all interests likely to be represented at the decision-making tables of local government.
There are no silly topics or stupid queries when it comes to vetting a potential leader.
Ask as many as possible, often. Push, hard.
Demand answers. Not the pat, friendly, well-rehearsed kind that tend to dominate political debate. Virtually everyone stands for lower taxes, a higher quality of life, a green environment, and a safe community. Easy to espouse, tough to deliver, considering the current fiscal realities.
Our elected officials will be accountable for managing millions of dollars and shaping nearly every aspect of how our communities grow. Don't let them off the hook easily.
The next three weeks must be spent grilling mayoral, council, and school board hopefuls on every aspect of municipal governance.
If the answers they provide don't satisfy, ask more questions.
It's too easy to campaign on transparency in government, or class sizes, or fixing our traffic woes along with the roads and bridges on which it flows without hiking our taxes.
What matters most now is how those things politicians promise will actually come to pass.
A response from a candidate without a plan won't hold up after the votes are counted. We deserve specifics from candidates who have done their homework, become familiar with the issues, and are ready to make the decisions they will face, if and when they are elected.
We especially need to take a cold, hard look at the incumbent candidates, and whether they worked hard enough to represent what taxpayers want, spent our money efficiently and responsibly, and prioritized needs over wants.
We also must be honest with ourselves, about what we really want, and what we're willing to give up to get it.
Some residents don’t want to see tax increases, but are they willing to give up services, if that’s what it comes to? Some say going green is a priority; others might agree, but only if it's fiscally viable.
We must be clear on our expectations of those who hope to govern, and insist on clarity so we know where each candidate stands.
Voting is the most involvement taxpayers will have in future decisions that will be made on our behalf.
The only way to know now, before marking our ballots, is to ask.
Editorials are the consensus view of the St. Albert Gazette’s editorial board.
