Aldermanic hopeful Carolyn Friend has lived in Airdrie for eight years. In that time, she’s learned a lot, including that the community is a great place to raise her boys, Ryan and Dylan.
The Toronto native said she has discovered the current City council doesn’t seem to mind frittering away taxpayers’ money.
“I would like to see the developments that are on the books finished before we move on,” said Friend, who works at Helitrades Inc. and has a background in finance. “We need to take a breath and finish what we started.”
Friend said she doesn’t appreciate seeing her tax dollars continually being “ripped up” each year when she sees major intersections in Airdrie repeatedly redone. Along with local roads under construction, Friend sees Airdrie schools in dire straits, a priority she would lobby to fix.
“We have a problem with overcrowding in schools and it doesn’t look like were getting any provincial money,” said the 45-year-old.
Friend said all the issues boil down to one common denominator, a lack of communication between City council and the citizens of Airdrie.
“Community members aren’t informed or engaged,” said Friend. “That would be my first mandate: that the city is being informed.”
As an alderman, Friend said she would vie for council agendas to be available in local newspapers at least one week in advance so people “can know” what’s happening.
“We’re not Calgary, we can’t turn on the TV and see the news,” she said. Where is the citizen going to find the agenda?” she asked.
Friend hopes she is elected to council on Oct. 18 because of her strong convictions.
“I feel like I can be a friend to the citizens of this wonderful city,” she said.
