After one term on council, Ward 3 representative Tony Head is seeking a second.
Head announced he was seeking re-election during a city council meeting on June 24. Head said the last four years have been a whirlwind of activity, but there is still more to do.
“These last four years have really flown by,” he explained. “These last four years have been a lot of work and a lot of challenges have come up. I feel like there’s a lot of work that has to happen still, and a lot of ongoing work that I would like to continue. Having a say in being a strong voice for Ward 3 has always been my priority.”
Head said he takes his top issues from his voters and their biggest concern is crime and social issues that lead to crime.
Head said being a strong voice means advocating for Prince Albert’s interests at the provincial level. He said the City needs to bring its concerns to the province to try and find solutions.
“Residents have contacted me for a variety of things over the last four years and I’m happy they do,” he explained. “I’m happy to be able to assist them through the challenges they see in their neighborhoods.”
Head consistently voted against The Yard project during his time on council. He made the decision after door-knocking during the last election.
“It was very clear that people were concerned with the cost, the land acquisitions, what it’s going to look like, (and) how we’re going to pay for it,” Head explained.
“They’re very concerned about the cost of that project and diving in debt any more than we have, so I’ve been voting no.”
Head said social issues are also a concern he’s hearing about from voters. He said addressing the problem is always difficult but there has been movement from the province around a big one: a new permanent shelter location in Prince Albert.
“That’s been one positive change,” he said. “A lot of people have been advocating for that in Prince Albert, something a little bit more of a permanent shelter and/or wraparound services. (It’s) not just here’s a shelter, keep people off the streets, but provide services to keep them off the streets and give them a quality of life.”
Head said the issue has been front and centre since it’s both a provincial and municipal election year.
He said the city faces a challenge because too many people are being arrested, then sent back to the streets without any services or help. He said current methods make it difficult to create positive change in society.
“We need to see some changes and the provincial government has heard some of that, I think and has made some commitments at least to address some of our social problems in Prince Albert here,” Head said.
Head was first elected in 2020, beating incumbent Evert Botha and another former councillor, Lee Atkinson.
“It is a very important job and I want to continue to be that strong voice for residents of Ward 3,” he said.
Don Cody is the only current councillor to announce he will not seek re-election in the fall. Brent Zbarashcuk has announced his intent to run in Ward 4. Blake Edwards in Ward 6, Dawn Kilmer in Ward 7 and Head have all confirmed they will run again. The current candidates for Mayor are incumbent Greg Dionne and Bill Powalinsky.
Prince Albert’s next municipal election is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2024.
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