Local business owner, Jeff Peddle is running for a Ward 1 council seat.
Peddle co-owns Chez Max with his wife Maxine Peddle.
If elected he plans to work with other members of council to get the municipal budget under control, stop fly-in fly-out workers and revitalize downtown.
Peddle believes that the municipality needs to be run like a business.
“We have to control our spending and look at everything were spending as a municipality,” said Peddle. “We can’t tear down a building or touch a blade of grass until we have the end costs and a time frame of when it is going to start and when it is going to finish.”
Downtown revitalization has been an issue within the Urban Service Area for multiple years; Peddle said rebuilding downtown is crucial going forward.
“Downtown is the main point of the city, ours is an embarrassment,” said Peddle. “Getting downtown rebuilt to be the pride of Fort McMurray would be a huge step for our municipality.”
Another key issue on Peddle’s platform is dealing with fly in, fly out workers.
“I would like to work with industry and anything 30-45 minutes out of town, shut down the fly-in fly-out. If you have the pleasure of getting a pay cheque from Fort McMurray you should live in Fort McMurray and support our local economy,” said Peddle.
Peddle also touched on making the community a safer place for all citizens by working with the RCMP. He said he has already had great conversations about getting daily foot patrols.
“All of the drinking and drugs in public has to stop. So we can be a clean safe community for every citizen of Wood Buffalo,” he added.
Advanced polls for the election run Oct. 7-14.
Election Day is Oct. 16.
