With municipal elections just around the corner, the Delia Village Council is left one councillor short.
Earlier this month, Councillor Jeff Collins resigned from council after having officially made the move to Calgary. Collins was elected in October 2010 after moving to Delia.
“I’ve already resigned from council. I’ve been trying to sell my house for three months, but I ended up renting it out to a young couple in September. Therefore, under the terms of the Municipal Government Act, I’m ineligible to stay on council,” said Collins.
Jeff Collins (left) gave his resignation from the Delia Village Council earlier this month after moving to Calgary, Mayor John Rogers and Dennis Thordarson will go for re-election.
However, the remaining two members of the Delia Council intend to run for re-election.
“I’m definitely running again. I’m in the middle of a project here and we’re scheduling what we’re going to do over the next three to four years, so I’d like to see them completed,” said Mayor John Rogers. “Because Jeff (Collins) is heading back to Calgary, I want to make sure there is some stability and things get done.”
Dennis Thordarson, who was elected last fall in a by-election, also intends to run again.
“I think there is a lot of work that needs doing, we have to get some financial responsibility happening, and get our town back together again,” said Thordarson.
“I’d like to see us get our administration costs under control and there’s the sewer situation, which has to be rectified. I’d like to see us get back on the road again and progress and grow. I’ve put together a plan, sort of an incentive program, to get people to come and build here.”
The hottest topic leading up to the election is how the town handled its sewer construction project over the summer, which saw lengthy delays.
“There are a lot of unhappy voters in Delia, because our sewer project took so long to get done and caused so much inconvenience,” said Collins. “It’s going to be an interesting campaign in Delia.”
The main causes of the delays were rain, soil contamination on Main Street, and the contractor, Shawne Excavating, was based out of High River.
“They were all issues we couldn’t foresee. I take my hat off to our construction outfit. Even under the adverse conditions they were living under, they stuck with us and finished. They could’ve just went home. I sympathize with our businesses, because it went longer than we thought, but if we don’t have water and sewer, we don’t have a village,” said Rogers.
For those running for election, Collins had some advice.
“Sell your vision of the future, not your complaints about the past. Especially an optimistic vision of the future,” said Collins. “I made no promises when I ran, because I didn’t know the place well enough, so I said I would vote in, what I precieved, were the best interests of the majority. I went over my old binders and resolutions and I think I did that.”
Perhaps most importantly, for anyone on council, is understanding the role of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
“Develop a relationship wth your CAO that is mutually respectful. They are council’s only employee, but that doesn’t mean council has the authority to direct how they do their job. It’s all laid out in the Municipal Government Act,” said Collins.
