Ward System Debate

Charles Tweed, the former city editor at The Brandon Sun and current owner of Tweedia, went on a self-described 'rant' on twitter last night discussing the City of Brandon's current Ward system to electing City Council members (@CharlesTweed if you want to check it out). Charles lives in a Ward without race for council, meaning he won't get a vote in the municipal election next Wednesday.

 

 

This morning, I responded with my thoughts on the Ward system vs. the at-large voting system.

 

1/10 Charles - a saw your self-described 'rant' this morning on the Ward system vs. the at-large system for the City of Brandon municipal election , and thought I'd respond. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

2/10 As a first-time candidate, one of the difficulties I've found is balancing the campaign with work and family/personal time. The municipal election continues to be largely a ‘boots on the ground’ campaign. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

3/10 In the current Ward system, I have the ability to walk the entirety of South Centre as part of the campaign, but would struggle to cover the entire city in a city-wide format. I believe the city-wide format would make it even more difficult for new people to be elected to council. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

4/10 That would then place more emphasis on campaign materials, including signage, which would also make it difficult for individuals to run because of the increased financial responsibility of getting their message. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

5/10 Remember, a council candidate can spend a maximum of $4,500, only $750 of which can be their own money. So, candidates would have to fundraise and/or receive more contributions to be elected, which could come from special interest groups. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

6/10 The fact there is no mayoral race in Brandon this year is a bit of an anomaly (hadn’t happened since 1993), but I think going to a city-wide council election system would actually decrease the number of people interested in running, especially for council seats. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

7/10 There would also be the possibility of all (or majority) of council coming from one area of the city, giving the perception (if not the reality) of favouritism toward that area in decisions that are made a council table. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

8/10 Post-election, having each council member responsible for certain area in the city (I believe) makes it easier for residents to know who to reach out to when they have an issue or problem. If council was city-wide, who would I call? #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

9/10 Ultimately, it would be the councillors that made the extra effort to meet residents, return phone calls and emails that would quickly become the go-to people and those that didn’t, would have much less of those responsibilities despite garnering the same pay. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

10/10 Admittedly, the ward system isn’t perfect and, as you mentioned, you won’t get a chance to vote next Wednesday (although you should still get out and vote in the school board election) but I still feel it’s the best system for our city. #bdnmb #bdnvotes #luebke4southcentre

 

Innovative & Creative (Transit)

 I had the opportunity to speak at the Brandon University Students' Union Council Candidate Forum on Wednesday night at Harvest Hall on the BU Campus.
 Thanks to current BUSU president Justin Shannon and BUSU for organizing the event which, unfortunately, was not well attended.
 Originally, I had hoped to deliver most of this messaging at the forum, but thought it prudent to put this out in a more open forum for all residents of South Centre (and the City of Brandon) to see.
 One of the things I believe we need to be is innovative and creative in our approach to the future, particularly when it comes to tackling some of the issues facing our community.
 I've noticed several times during the municipal campaign that some candidates are good at pointing out problems, but aren't quite as good at providing possible ideas that might help resolve those problems.
 For example, the cash freeze from the provincial government on transit funding during the last budget process led to a $230,000 shortfall for the City of Brandon, which led to the decision to alter a couple of routes and the eliminate or cut back on the service available on Sunday's and statutory holidays.
 In a perfect world, I think we'd all like to see that service restored, but I think I'm safe to say  the province isn't going to restore their funding to the previous level (in other words, 'lobby the provincial government for more funding isn't a viable solution, in my opinion), and I'd have a tough time increasing property taxes to specifically go to the Brandon Transit system.
 So, we left with looking into other solutions.
 The Car Share program being discussed at a workshop this Saturday at the Cultural Resource Centre in Brandon is one creative idea that may help people secure viable transportation in our city.

 A RideShare or RideMatching program, which is already being advocated by GoManitoba, is another possible alternative.
 The CarShare, RideShare and/or RideMatching programs could also be part of the solution to replace the Greyhound bus service, which will cease it's operations in Manitoba soon.
 Talking with a local owner of a bus company in Brandon recently, he doesn't feel there's a way for a private business to make money on a province-wide bus service.
 However, I can't help but wonder if a 'casino-style' bus trip from Brandon to Winnipeg and back would be viable. In that scenario, you basically pick and drop all passengers off at one place at one time, but maybe it's two high-traffic places in Winnipeg (Health Sciences Centre & Polo Park?) and someplace adjacent to the TransCanada Highway on the North Hill in Brandon.
 I would also look at whether we're maximizing our advertising and marketing revenues in Brandon Transit, and by that I mean could we be selling more advertising space to local businesses on our buses, shelters, etc.
 What about partnering with the Brandon School Division on a UPass for High School students (credit to Stephen Montague for that idea)?
 Or a year-round pass for frequent users at a set price?
 I can't tell you all those ideas are viable, but they might be something looking into.
 Here's some more notes for you...

• Government of Manitoba announced details of the RAMM clinic in Brandon earlier today. It'll be located at the 7th Street Access Centre (more information here). It's a start, but there's still a lot more work to do to address addiction in our community. I proposed last night at the BUSU Forum that the City look into organization an Addiction and Mental Health Committee, similar to the Poverty Committee, which could include members of City Council and representation from organizations who deal with those issues on a regular basis.
• Also at the BUSU Forum last night, I expanded on my idea for replacing the closed South End Community Centre to include a possible partnership with the Brandon School Division for something that could also be beneficial to Neelin High School (which is ride across the street).  South Centre does not include a city-maintained Park so making sure the area is maintained as green space is important, though I recognize there may be some challenges in creating a recreational hub at the location due to the underground reservoir there.
• What would you think about a City-Wide recreational hub? Community Centre aren't generally part of the new developments that are occurring in our city, so is it possible to create an area for those citizens to enjoy their family time? Perhaps a bigger version of the Valleyview Recreational Hub is something to discuss, including an attractive outdoor pool and waterpark.
• If you haven't seen the CTV Winnipeg coverage of the election in Brandon that aired this past Monday, you can access it here.
• Final chance to 'grill' the candidates is the Brandon Chamber of Commerce Open House on Monday (October 22) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Clarion Hotel & Suites.
• Advance polls are open today (October 18th) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday (October 20) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Main Foyer at City Hall.

Survey Says!

 

 Out of all the things I was prepared for when I entered the municipal election campaign, the one that has been a bigger time commitment than I anticipated is the number of organizations that contact you to fill out their surveys/questionnaires.

 At last count, there were eight that have been sent to me over the past month, only half of which are from local organizations (which, to be honest, are the ones I've focused on).

 Two of those were from the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Brandon Area Realtors.  My responses to their questions are posted below.

 Meanwhile, here's a few news & notes...

•  The Chamber is hosting a City Councillor Candidates Reception next Monday (October 22) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel & Suites on Victoria Avenue.
•  I'll be participating in the Brandon University Students' Union Municipal Election Forum this Wednesday (October 17) from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Harvest Hall (BU Dining Hall). I am scheduled to take questions from students from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. at that event.
• Advance voting continues this week, running Thursday (October 18) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday (October 20) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Main Foyer at City Hall. More information can be found at https://brandonvotes.ca/elector-info/alternative-voting-opportunities
• I was quoted in a recent story in The Brandon Sun regarding the anticipated voter turnout for the October 24th election (https://www.brandonsun.com/local/candidates-dont-anticipate-a-strong-voter-turnout-496806131.html). While I feel voter turnout won't be anywhere near the 40% mark of the past two municipal elections, I encourage you to PROVE ME WRONG.  As I've usually closed my conversations with residents in the South Centre Ward so far during this campaign 'You don't have to vote for me, but you should get out and vote.'

Brandon Chamber of Commerce Survey

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Brandon Area Realtors