Time flies when you are having fun, according to Mayor Peter Brown.
Brown recently marked one year of leading the City of Airdrie after last October’s municipal election. He said he couldn’t do it without the assistance of council and City staff.
“It has been a team effort with council committed to the community,” he said. “We get all the credit but it is the staff who works really hard and gets things done.”
Although he has dealt with an array of issues since his inauguration, including the location of new off leash parks, a challenging budget and the annexation of 12,000 acres of Rocky View County, he said the creation of the Airdrie and Area Health Trust is the accomplishment he is most proud of.
“We need to make sure residents have 24-hour health services,” said Brown. “We will have a working model before the end of 2012. We want the best for our citizens.”
The Health Trust consists of council members, doctors, Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderson, the Chamber of Commerce, Alberta Health Services staff and citizens. Brown said although the details of the model have not been fleshed out, the group will announce their priorities in November. Brown said the provision of health care is a Provincial responsibility and he will not stop bringing the issue up with the government.
“We are working on a made-in-Airdrie solution but we need to keep connecting with the Province and more often,” he said. “It is imperative that we are connecting with them and letting them know how important the needs are in this community. We need to be in front of them and do everything we can to get the resources we need.”
Brown said he truly feels he is the representative of the residents of Airdrie and looking forward, his only hope is to meet the needs of Airdrie citizens.
“To me, it is pretty easy,” he said.
“I don’t think of myself as anyone other than the lucky guy who got elected to be mayor. I have to work as hard as I can to make Airdrie the best place to work, live and play.”
Alderman Allan Hunter, who was elected for the first time last October, agreed.
“The bottom line is that we are here to represent the citizens,” said Hunter.
He said working with Brown has been an honour.
“He’s so upbeat,” said Hunter.
“He gets very passionate about something and that’s because he cares and wants to make a difference in the community. It is not about getting your name in a history book, it’s about serving residents.”
Alderman Glenda Alexander said Brown’s passion is contagious.
“Peter has come a long way in the last year,” she said.“He has learned a lot about municipal politics and had to deal with some pretty big and challenging issues. He is very dedicated and passionate about what he does.”
Brown said some of his other goals for the future include creating a 2011-14 budget that works for the City and residents, seeing the annexation approved from the Province by the first quarter of 2012 and seeing the rural areas surrounding Calgary sign on to the Calgary Regional Partnership by 2013.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the fact that we as a City work together with our neighbours and it is not a true regional plan without the largest landowners,” he said.
Brown said the only thing he doesn’t like about his job is the slow rate at which the government moves.
“We have to be persistent and not take no for an answer if we want to see things done,” he said.
“Look at the fact that we got our three schools, that is an example of the community really coming together for something that was desperately needed.”
The new westside fire hall, beginning construction on Genesis Place Phase III and ensuring local transportation meets residents’ needs are some other issues Brown is looking forward to working on during the next two years of his term.
He said his favourite part of his job is getting out in the community to speak with citizens. He hopes to visit more seniors homes and schools in 2012, he added.
