Good evening, My name is Jacquie Hansen and I am running for City Council. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here tonight.
My reasons for running for city council are three fold:
I care deeply about this city and its future
I care deeply about the quality of leadership
I’d like to ensure that St. Albert is well represented in the region.
For 16 years I have been elected to local, regional and provincial boards. I served 4 terms on St. Albert Catholic School board and chaired a provincial board for three years. As chair and president of this provincial body, my main objective was to unite 61 public, separate and francophone boards on education issues that I could then directly advocate to government on. This experience has been invaluable and has taught me about what makes a board effective and so I believe it has prepared me well for this office.
I also believe leadership matters. On Monday, we have the opportunity to bring new energy, optimism and new eyes to this city council. From where I stand, I see a need to elect individuals that can put aside their egos, attack the issues (not the people) and make decisions based on the greater good of our community. There will, no doubt, be hard decisions to make over the next four years but therein lies the heart of the job of council. This kind of work requires a mindset that is collaborative, unified and respectful of the final corporate decision (whatever that decision may be).
Municipal issues will come and go (we’ve talked about many over the last few weeks) but at the end of the day, integrity, ethics and sound decision making come with respecting perspectives, governing with due care and listening to the people whom your decisions affect. It can be done with the right processes in place and with a group of people who are willing to make it happen.
It’s an exciting time for St. Albert’s future. On October 16, I respectfully ask for your vote. Thank you.
-Closing Remarks-
St. Albert is a very special community with hard working, dedicated people who care. That’s the community spirit that made us the number one place to live in Canada by Money Sense Magazine.
As we’ve heard tonight though, there are many issues on our radar. Whether it’s housing, mental health, transportation or taxes – it’s all part of a bigger, integrated conversation about our future.
The fact is the St. Albert is a growing municipality in a growing region. Council decisions will need to be made within this context. With our neighbors growing too, how will we regionally position ourselves and protect our uniqueness at the same time?
I see the next four years as an opportunity for listening and learning, advocacy, regional conversations and outside the box thinking.
We do want to secure a healthy future. My vision is to safeguard the exceptional quality of life we enjoy in St. Albert today and in the future. Thank you.
Vote For JACQUIE HANSEN 