City relations are Ward 3 hot button

Civic engagement was the major theme at a north-side election forum Wednesday night, with at least two candidates saying the city has done an inadequate job of listening to residents’ wishes. Whetherit’s playground funding, transit, or road improvements, residents of Ward 3 too often feel like they are excluded from the decision-making and not getting their fair share of funding, said David Dodge, one of three contenders taking on incumbent Dave Loken.

Dodge called for new leadership to reestablish better relations between the city and Ward 3, a growing area of north-end suburban neighbourhoods. He said he has seen too many frustrated residents, citing the example of a community that can’t get any help to build a basketball court. “The city has to be there for us. They have to support the things we support,” said Dodge, the former president of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues. Loken, however, defended the city’s performance and his own record over the past three years, saying there has been considerable progress in improving transit, safety initiatives, and moving north-side neighbourhoods up the list for street renewal. He said the city would like to do more, but has limited resources until it gets better funding from the province. He said retaining his experience on council will be vital to achieve that, since there will be at least five new faces on council after Oct. 21.

Rob Bernshaw, a community volunteer who lives in Ward 8, said he became angry after listening to residents upset about the city’s rising debt load, increasing taxes and a lack of transparency. He said the city needs to stop having secret meetings, implementa lobbyist registry and control spending rather than giving sweetheart deals to the Oilers.

“Edmontonians are fed up and so am I,” he told a crowd of about 130 at Londonderry Junior High School.

Loken shot back that he had never attended any “secret” meetings as councillor. He said any policy to reduce taxes or end borrowing would have a negative effect on serving a growing population. Dodge, who said he has been a community leader for 18 years, said he would prefer to keep tax hikes tied to inflation, plus whatever is needed for neighbourhood renewal — though the city also has to plan for growth. Hakin Isse, a small-business owner and non-profit volunteer, said he is focused on creating strong schools and more programs for youth in the ward.