John Corrigan is one of four candidates seeking re-election for Weyburn City Council in this year's municipal election.
In a discussion with Discover Weyburn earlier this week he outlined his plan to hit ground running with the experience he’s garnered in his first term.
“Over the last four years, I've served on a number of committees, and now I feel like, if I'm re-elected, I can get into that working mode right from day one.”
His plan for the first 100 days after the election involves sharing what he’s learned with any new councilors.
“The City has a lot of areas that we're responsible for, and to be able to spend that money, that is the taxpayers' money, responsibly, and to go through all that information, and to make good decisions. So, I think in those first two, three months, to have an impact moving forward, initially, with the knowledge that I carry forward, but still understanding and learning what needs to be done in the community, also.”
He maintains a focus on infrastructure including roads, water, sewer, emergency services and recreational facilities.
“The one that jumps out at me is recreational services. Having some issues over at the Leisure Centre, but also, even evaluating everything that we have within the community. The Crescent Point Place is nearing its end of life, too, and that's something that needs to be looked at. How do we replace these aging facilities without it being a burden on the ratepayer?”
He explains that while plans are in place to ensure recreational facilities are maintained, it can be difficult to predict when things will need maintenance or replacement.
“Those decisions will have to be made by the new council as to where we go, and how we get there. And that includes, you know, talking to all the user groups, the community, what do we need?”
When discussing the challenges faced by the city, Corrigan highlights continuing to develop the city and make it a more attractive place to live.
“Even though we're being ranked high, we got to continue, we need to continue to work on that, and move us up that ladder even farther. So, we're front of mind for people to look at Weyburn and say, ‘hey, that's a great place, we want to move there’.”
Regarding the downtown revitalization project, Corrigan says input from local businesses is key, but the project is still in its infancy. He describes initiatives that could be implemented including the concept of an entertainment district.
"How does that look? I see some of the innovations that some of the businesses are taking downtown, like even the little patio out in front of the shop down on main street there What if we had a few more of those, you know?” He continues “can we duplicate that sort of thing? I don't know. Can we try? Sure.”
Three hot button topics in the city include the potential for a housing bottleneck, the City Centre Mall, and the Leisure Centre.
Regarding the housing issue, Corrigan says there isnt much they can do outside revamping their existing programs and initiatives.
“Those are the things that we can do. And we can't worry too much about the things we can't do.”
Regarding the mall, he says they don't have any influence as it is a private business saying, “if the day comes where it is no longer viable for that business to be open, then City Council will have to look at that.”
The leisure centre repairs are something he says will not happen overnight, but he wants the repairs to be done right.
“You don't want to, you know, just do a quick bandaid type solution, and then realize five years down the road, oh, we made a huge mistake. Let's make sure that it's done the right way properly, and that it fits the needs of the community and all the user groups that are that are there to to enjoy the facility.”
Advance polls for the municipal election will be Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Credit Union Spark Centre, and again on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The election itself will be November 13th from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Discover Weyburn is your best source for the most comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Weyburn Municipal Election. With live results, in-depth analysis, and immediate reactions, Discover Weyburn’s dedicated team will be working throughout election day to bring the story to our community. Tune in for real-time updates on-air and follow online for the latest results as they happen.
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Discover Weyburn will be chatting with all of the candidates for Weyburn City Council election, and the Weyburn Mayoral election, in the coming days.