As another Airdrie City council nears its end, Peter Brown recently announced he is looking to secure his fourth consecutive term as mayor.
“In my mind, this has been the best job of my working career,” Brown said shortly after announcing his candidacy for re-election on Aug. 27 at the Woodside Golf Course. “I believe I still have lots to offer, and I think experience counts.”
With the City continuing to go through significant change, not only due to COVID-19 but also because of impacts on the provincial and federal governments, Brown said his established relationships with representatives from all levels of governance will be a valuable asset moving forward.
“I know the players and I know how to get things done,” he said. “For me, it was a pretty easy decision.”
Brown has been Airdrie's mayor for 11 years, since defeating Linda Bruce in 2010, when Airdrie's population was just under 40,000 residents.
In 2013, Brown was acclaimed as Airdrie's mayor, securing his second term with no opposing candidates running against him.
Brown's third mayoral campaign in 2017 proved the most competitive, as he ran against four other mayoral hopefuls. As the incumbent candidate, he was still able to land the job, securing 5,006 total votes. The runner-up in that election was Marie Lauer, who grabbed 3,280 votes.
With every term, Brown said opportunities and challenges arise. While there are challenges, he said the pros of his decision to run for re-election outweighed the cons.
“Hopefully this campaign will have success, but that will depend on what the [people] think,” he said.
While Brown said the decision to run again was easy, there were still many factors that went into it. During his campaign announcement, he cited the impact the position has had on his family, whom he said has always supported his political career.
He had also previously told media the decision whether or not he would run would be dependent on his personal health, as he contracted COVID-19 last fall and suffered from “long-haul” symptoms associated with the illness.
In the end, Brown said being mayor is about managing change – something he said he is good at.
“This year has been all about change, which will continue to come not only in our community but across the province and country,” he said.
In addition, Brown noted a good portion of the City’s leadership is set to depart over the next number of years, which means it will be important for someone to be there who understands the culture and knows people within the organization.
In terms of his platform, Brown strayed away from making campaign promises.
“That is all they are – promises,” he said. “My commitment is to continue to be accountable, trustworthy, have integrity and continue to be accessible to the community.”
A new library on the horizon, the completion of the 40 Avenue highway interchange, a number of recreational infrastructure projects and other developments mean there is a lot to look forward to in Airdrie, according to Brown. But even with the many projects on the go, he said it will be a challenging time ahead.
“There are a lot of big decisions to make – it’s going to be a huge commitment,” he said.
Looking back on his three terms, Brown has seen Airdrie’s population go from less than 40,000 residents all the way to nearly 73,000, and he has witnessed and played part in most of the expansion that comes with a growing city.
“Looking back at my first term, I just had so much to learn,” he said. “Over the last four years, it has been mixture of really good and tough.”
While several tough decisions have had to be made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown said he is proud of the current council and the cohesiveness the group was able to find when determining a path forward through the struggles brought on by the pandemic.
“There were disagreements, but they were always respectful,” he said. “We got things done.”
Brown said he is proud of the community connection the City has created.
“I know when I ride my bike in Airdrie, wherever I am, I feel connected,” he said. “Even though we have doubled in size, Airdrie is still such a connected community. I think that is what I am most proud of. That was here at the beginning, and it is still here now.”
To date, one other mayoral candidate is registered for the upcoming election – local entrepreneur Lindsey Coyle.
The municipal election is set for Oct. 18.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
