Following the resignation of former councillor Dave McKenzie Feb. 10, four candidates have tossed their names into the race for the vacant seat up for grabs at the April 18 Beiseker byelection.
Following the resignation of former councillor Dave McKenzie Feb. 10, four candidates have tossed their names into the race for the vacant seat up for grabs at the April 18 Beiseker byelection.
A resident of Beiseker for the past 20 years, Nikki King, 46, said it was her intention to run in the next general election before the opportunity arose early due to the resignation of McKenzie.
With her experience as a member on the Family and Community Support Services, Recreation and Economic Development boards, King said she hoped to transfer that experience into a role on council.
“It just seemed to make sense,” she said. “I've been living here for a long while and it was time to give back to the community in that way.”
A transportation manager with Iron Mountain Canada, King said she has had the opportunity to participate in several leadership development programs and has years of experience dealing with profit loss statements, financial reports and cost cutting.
King said she has been pleased with the work effort of this council but feels Beiseker has gone down the same path for a number of years and thinks there is the risk of getting stuck in the mindset of “that's the way it's always been done.”
With the economy in the state that it is, she said it is time to have a shift in paradigm by looking at new ways to tackle old problems.
“I think I can bring some of that experience and some of that knowledge to the community,” King said. “I am a change agent and I'm looking at doing what's best for our community and what's best for our budget.”
As an ardent follower of politics, Mykle Lambert, 34, said his decision to run in the upcoming Beiseker byelection was the result of wanting to give politics a go in the community he has called home for the past nine years.
Running on the a platform of building a strong foundation for the community, Lambert said that starts with improving Beiseker's aging water infrastructure.
“You have to have a strong foundation before you can build a strong community,” he said. “You're not going to keep community members if you can't keep up the infrastructure.”
Though he has been working in highway maintenance for the past four years, Lambert said he hopes to bring an informed voice to the table, advocating what's below the surface must get fixed before the roads.
As a small community, he said the six or so water main breaks in the past six months are a big indication that there needs to be a prioritization of projects to ensure the longevity of the village.
“That's a little excessive for water line breaks,” Lambert said.
He said he feels a strong connection with Beiseker and loves living and raising his children in the community.
At the end of the day, Lambert said he hopes the people will choose whoever they feel is the best candidate to improve Beiseker.
“It's a nice little community,” he said. “It just needs a little work.”
Juggling work and family life, Victor Lemky, a 51-year-old resident who has lived in Beiseker for 18 years, had always thought of running for council.
With his youngest now in her last year of school, the resignation of McKenzie prompted Lemky to finally step up and give politics a try.
“I think I'm ready to take on another role in the community,” he said.
Lemky is concerned with the Village's aging water infrastructure, which has led to water main breaks and dug up roads.
Though he said he would be new to the ins-and-outs of municipal planning, he is willing to learn the role and do the best job he can.
Already familiar with the members of council, he feels his voice can be complementary to the work it has already been striving towards doing.
“I have my opinions and I think maybe I can help contribute too,” Lemky said. “We're all working towards the greater good.”
Through conversations he has had with residents and members of council, he is aware Beiseker has issues to face and believes there should be more points of view when dealing with these.
“All I can say is that I hope to join the team and further enhance our village in whatever role I can,” he said.
Twenty-five-year-old Kurtis Lyczewski hopes to bring new perspectives and a younger voice to Beiseker Village council.
Though he has only been a resident of Beiseker for one year, Lyczewski said his family's roots in the community sprawl the past eight decades.
Having run for council in Okotoks, Alta., when he was 18 years old, he said he got a taste for what it takes to be an elected official while meeting and discussing issues with residents during his campaign.
“I think we need to go out and try to get younger people excited about politics and participating in activities,” he said. “I'd just like to go in and see if I can make a change to the community in a brighter aspect and bring some of the residents concerns back into perspective.”
The largest issue facing the Village is its aging infrastructure, he said, and Lyczewski would like to review budget plans to get an idea of what the Village's five year plan is.
Understanding it would be physically and financially impossible to complete the water infrastructure upgrades all in one go, he suggested the Village prioritize projects so sections of the water infrastructure could be fixed year-by-year.
“Shouldn't take us too long and then we'd have everything upgraded and hopefully that would alleviate a lot of problems,” he said.
