Several candidates in the upcoming municipal election have signed an Alberta Urban Municipality Association pledge to uphold what they believe are key democratic principles in the upcoming campaign. Some of the items listed on the pledge include transparency through making campaign finance disclosures prior to election day.
Councillor Dylan Bressey says it’s vital to create an open and transparent campaign process for everyone, both new and incumbent candidates.
“I think those are things that certainly here in Grande Prairie are present at a municipal level, they’re often lacking at provincial and federal levels,” he says. “We want to keep those important principles of our democracy and our city council here in Grande Prairie.”
Bressey adds the municipal government is the level of government that people interact with the most but gets the smallest amount of democratic discussion. He hopes this will help residents across the city become more interested in getting involved in the election, whether it’s through voting, or simply joining the conversation.
“Once every four years we’ve got this great opportunity where the microscope is on city hall, and residents really do share what their vision for the community is,” he adds.
Mayoral candidate Eunice Friesen says she is confident that the calls on the pledge would have been adhered to anyway, as it’s things she has seen colleagues across the board adhere to already.
“We’re working to make sure we keep the issues that we have control over at the forefront of the discussion,” she says. “I’m delighted to see we are signing this, and as other candidates come forward they will as well.”
Candidates who signed the pledge on Tuesday include Grant Berg, Dylan Bressey, Eunice Friesen, Yad Minhas, Solomon Okhifoh, Bryan Petryshyn, and Chris Thiessen.
Mayoral candidate Jackie Clayton and council candidate Neil Tuazon have also pledged to follow a similar path but were unable to make the in-person signing.