While 2020 is over, 2021 is a municipal election year and with the changes to the Municipal Government Act, nominations open right way.
At the Monday, December 9 Council Meeting, CAO Darryl Drohomerski was appointed returning officer as nominations for the October municipal election opened on January 1.
Councillor Jay Garbutt has been on council for three terms and tells the Mail this will be his last. His motivation to be a councillor comes from wanting to serve the community.
“My family has a tradition of volunteerism and public service. I had already carried on that tradition by serving on a variety of local boards and being a member of Rotary. When my mother passed away in 2010, I decided to try to honour her service as a three-term school board trustee more deeply by getting elected myself, but to council instead,” said Garbutt. “She held public service in the highest honour. It’s for others to judge if that was the ‘right’ motivation, but I think it’s better than having an axe to grind.”
He feels service is an important motivator for those considering running for council, and says it’s also important for those wishing to run to familiarize themselves with the duties of Council.
“It’s been my experience people know so little about what council actually does and doesn’t do that attending some council meetings in person would be a great start for anyone thinking about running,” said Garbutt. “Council makes policy and allocates resources. We have one employee, the CAO, and should otherwise keep our noses out of the day-to-day operations of the organization - managing all that is the CAO’s job and you have to trust the team they build to do so.”
Kristyne DeMott is at the tail end of her first term on council and has not disclosed whether she plans to run again.
“My motivation for running was, and still remains, to attract and retain millennials within our community. I am very excited GenNow has formed and emerged in Drumheller, and I really look forward to what the future holds,” she said.
DeMott came into the role with no political experience.
“Entering into my first term, I had neither preconceived notions nor expectations other than I knew I would have to learn a lot very quickly. I don’t think any amount of knowledge or indicators could have prepared us for the term we have experienced thus far,” she said. “Between our council facing unprecedented times; emotional personal circumstances; and incredible triumphs and progressions, I could have never imagined these last three years transpiring into what they have.”
One thing she learned is to be adaptable.
“Being a great elected official requires you to dedicate yourself to the position completely. There are many moving parts, and staying on top of everything requires commitment and time. It’s important to know how to balance and have a personality that can adapt and pivot quickly. The role demands of you what you are willing to put into it,” said DeMott.
Garbutt also noted it is a large commitment.
“As far as time commitment, there’s simply no gentle way to put this: IT IS A HUGE COMMITMENT. Preparing for each meeting by reading all the documents and preparing your questions will take hours each week. Sometimes the agenda is 150 pages long. You will serve on at least five sub-committees, some that meet infrequently and some that will need you for hours each week. Fair or not, there is an expectation you are on-call 24/7:365.”
“And when emergency situations occur (and boy have they ever) then you can expect to leave your career and personal life behind for days, or weeks at a time. If someone can’t find at least 20 hours per week to devote to Council you have no business running, in my opinion. There are slow times too, but it’s wiser to be prepared to give that 20 hours, period.”
He also adds it helps to have thick skin.
“While it has been the honour of my life to serve this community, I have to say to anyone considering running for this office - you better have the thickest of skins because it’s never been easier for people to make it clear how stupid they think you are despite them not understanding anything. But perhaps most importantly, you better have the ability to stick to what you know is right when it conflicts with what is popular or easy, or you won’t get my vote,” he said.
DeMott says through the work, there are rewards.
“I am proud of so many things our council and team have accomplished. Doing the right thing is not always the easiest, and our council has stood up and made some big, tough moves and decisions in the name of the future of our community,” she said.
Over Garbutt’s tenure, he has seen a lot of change and many milestones.
“Carrying on the work of others and getting the BCF built and open comes to mind. It was gratifying to have so many people who thought they were against it change their minds once it was open. In the same vein, continuing the work of previous councils to make our utility more fair and sustainable is something of which I am proud. I feel great about all the good things that happen at Drumheller Housing Administration - working with our CAO, his staff, and the other board members have been a highlight for me.”
“As well, finally getting the funding to protect this town from future flooding, and all that goes with that gargantuan project is a huge and difficult leap forward. Perhaps most of all, the work we’ve done to make poverty alleviation a front-burner issue for municipal government; from beginning the fee assistance program to help make our rec facilities more accessible to more people (stay tuned for a better version of it in the new year) to finding a solution to a long-standing issue of no violence shelter in the community. Those have been my deepest personal wins. We have miles and miles to go in this area still though.” said Garbutt.