Airdronian Reggie Lang is the first resident to announce his candidacy for City council in the upcoming municipal election, and said he is running on a platform that involves new infrastructure and an expanded tourism sector in the city.
“The main reason I want [to run] is to help make Airdrie a better place for the future, for my kids,” Lang said. “I know that we have low taxes in Airdrie, but the one thing that we’re missing is infrastructure as far as sports, culture, recreation facilities, and even roads.”
In December 2020, City council unanimously approved its 2021 operating and capital budget, which resulted in a net-zero proposed tax increase, even though the municipality had earlier anticipated a deficit due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know that COVID has been a difficult time for all government leaders and I thank them and applaud them for all of their efforts – it hasn’t been easy,” Lang said. “Hopefully, if I'm elected, I can help be that voice to guide through any other situations that may arise and just add value to the city overall.
Lang added his 15 years working as a key account manager for WestJet have afforded him several opportunities to gain the necessary experience to serve as a councillor. He has also served on several boards involving sports and tourism, including the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance.
"I understand tourism and I understand sport tourism as far as leveraging infrastructure grant opportunities to grow sports and recreation facilities for the enrichment of the community,” he said. “I want to bring that expertise to Airdrie City council, because I think that that's one area that may be missing.”
According to Lang, tourism is a significant economic driver in most cities, and small businesses often rely on revenues brought in by travellers to survive. He added tourism-related revenue helps grow the local economy and bring new money into the community.
“And because Airdrie is just outside of Calgary, I don't think that we look at ourselves as a tourism destination,” he said.
“We don’t have as many opportunities as other cities similar size as us in Alberta and I want to make sure that we look at that.”
Lang said whether or not he wins a seat on City council, he is hoping to see Airdrie grow and take on additional services to help “enrich the lives of Airdronians and attract new residents and new commercial entities” to help support the city's tax base.
“Airdrie has a plan for the future and a sense of purpose,” he said. “I think that Airdrie has kind of sat back and looked at ourselves as the lowest tax base in and amongst all cities, which is something to be very proud of, because its obviously fiscally responsible.
“But we need to start looking at investing in the community so that everybody enjoys Airdrie and we’re continuing to be the community that’s friendly and fun,” he added.
As of May 4, Lang is the only candidate registered for the upcoming election, which will be held on Oct. 18. For more information on the municipal election, visit bit.ly/3bjY6WH
Carmen Cundy, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @carmenrcundy
