I am proud to call Red Deer my home: a great place to live, work, and enjoy.

A resident of Red Deer since 1985, I came here for a visit and never left!

A father of two, my daughter Shawna (14) is a French immersion high school student who plays in the school band and is a talented artist, and my daughter Chantal (8) attends elementary school and loves to dance and sing when no one is watching.

Volunteering: 

Actively involved in dozens of organizations over the years, currently involved in:

• Rotary Club of Red Deer
• Red Deer City Citizens on Patrol Association
• Red Deer Public Library’s Adult Literacy
• Central Alberta Regional Assessment Review Board
• Calgary Folk Music Festival

Experience:

I have been a businessman in Red Deer for 25 years and I have owned my own businesses, worked for large and small companies alike providing products and services to other businesses. Today through my role with Condor Solutions, I provide businesses with technology systems to manage their inventory, their sales information, and protect their assets through various detection and surveillance products.

I have served four terms on City Council (1995 – 2007), and ran for mayor in the last election. I have the skills, knowledge, and experience to serve as a valuable asset on City Council.

What issues concern you this election?

Here are some of the issues I have heard:

• A Downtown Vision
• Increased Snow Removal
• 50 Metre Pool for Competitions
• Recreational Enhancements
• Budget and Tax Issues
• Policing and Safety
• Voter Turnout
• Bicycle only lanes
• Water Quality
• Arts and Culture
• Our presence on the provincial and national scene

Ideas

I am an ideas person. I enjoy the challenge of solving problems and look for solutions when I see obstacles or challenges. Below are some ideas to investigate:

• Divide budget process into three sessions – tackle one city division at a time allowing council to delve more deeply. Revamping the budget process to give Council more time and insight into each department’s needs and requests. Strong, experienced leadership during the budget process is invaluable.
• Lease or buy existing downtown office space versus building a new Civic Centre.
• Consider incentives to encourage development of vacant – under-utilized downtown land.
• As a councillor, I would work hard to position Red Deer as a more prominent leader in municipal associations, both provincially (AUMA) and nationally (FCM).
• Redevelop vacant old civic yards property into an all season attraction with a proven business plan.
• Look for opportunities where private/public partnerships make sense. We do not have the financial capability  to build everything.
• The downtown is an ongoing election issue. We have made some excellent choices; I am proud of the progress made during my tenure on City Council yet we have so much more to do. There are wonderful examples throughout the world where downtowns work, we need to replicate these successes and learn from their errors as well. Together we can Continue Downtown Revitalization, where people work,enjoy, and live in the downtown.

The next three to nine years in Red Deer are critical – we must work hard to capitalize on our unique geographic and economic position within the province to effectively manage recovery and growth.

Learn more about me and some of my ideas at http://www.electdawson.com

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