New contender joins Airdrie’s 2025 council race ahead of fall election

Airdrie realtor David Dempsey has filed nomination papers for the 2025 municipal election, joining the race for one of six council seats.

In a May 13 interview, Dempsey said a conversation with friends last December pushed him to run, citing frustrations over rising taxes, slow project delivery, and what he called a gap in council’s advocacy efforts.

"We’re getting all these tax increases, but where is that money going?" he said. "We need things like the new hospital… but the delivery is very slow on those things."

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While he acknowledged that major health projects fall under provincial jurisdiction, he said the council has a role to play in pushing timelines forward and keeping residents informed. Dempsey said he would seek clearer provincial updates if elected, so residents know where key projects stand.

"If that means, you know, first day on the job... I say, ‘Listen, let me take care of this project. Let me make those phone calls, those emails... so I can get an understanding, so that I can communicate it better to the citizens of Airdrie.’"

Alberta Budget 2025 includes $2 million in planning funds for the proposed One Health Airdrie facility and $3 million carried forward for the North Calgary/Airdrie Regional Health Centre. No construction funding has been approved for either project. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said timelines would depend on how quickly planning work is completed.

Concerns about rising taxes, cost transparency, and service delivery gaps

Dempsey said many residents feel unclear on how tax dollars are spent. 

"The province takes about 32 percent... to fund schools and such, right?" he said. "Everybody complained, myself included; well, we’re seeing these increases, but what are we getting?"

According to the city’s May 8 tax report, the 2025 increase for a median single-family homeowner totals $27.90 per month. Roughly one-third of that comes from the municipal levy. The remaining $18.53 stems from a 25 per cent education requisition increase set by the Government of Alberta and collected by the city on its behalf.

Earlier in the year, the city's Assessment department also issued a reminder that rising values reflect ongoing market demand and growth pressures.

City Assessor Valerie Cottreau said in a 2024 city release that strong housing demand and regional growth continue to push property values up. The median single-family home in Airdrie is assessed at $614,000 in 2025 — up from $556,000 the previous year.

"As the City invests in infrastructure, community services and local amenities, Airdrie remains a top choice to call home," Cottreau said.

The city confirmed that 2025 tax notices include a detailed breakdown of municipal and provincial charges, along with an explanatory brochure. But Dempsey said residents still aren’t seeing results at the same pace they’re seeing increases.

"I think people just want to know, what are we paying for?" he said. "We need to clean our roads, we need to pick up our garbage, we need to police the city... but there’s no clear picture of what’s being done with the money."

Recreation timelines and facility access

Dempsey said he supports the city’s plan for a new recreation facility in southwest Airdrie but called the timeline "too long."

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"I think that’s—it’s the right project. It’s a very necessary project at this time and place," he said. "But by the time they get shovels in the ground to full completion, it’s about eight years, right?"

The Southwest Recreation Centre is scheduled for phased construction: aquatics and fitness in 2026–2028, arenas in 2030–2032, and a gymnasium in 2033–2035. The plan was reviewed by council May 6, following public engagement that drew 1,416 online survey responses and feedback from 17 local sport groups.

Residents cited a long-standing lack of aquatic space and rising demand for lane swimming, lessons, and therapy use. 

Genesis Place fees and access model

Dempsey also questioned how council handled recent fee increases at Genesis Place, saying residents lack flexibility in how they access and pay for services.

"There’s some people advocating for kind of pay-as-you-go—not just a one-time drop-in fee, but if you’re only going to use a certain part, just pay for that," he said. "A mom and a three-year-old aren’t gonna play pickleball, right? Like, they’re gonna be doing swimming."

The fee structure was debated during council’s March 4 review of the city’s User Fees and Charges policy. Council ultimately rejected a proposal to introduce swim-only or fitness-only passes, opting to maintain the facility’s all-access model.

A financial analysis presented that day warned that introducing split passes could reduce revenue by 9 to 13 per cent, depending on user behaviour.

"Multi-use facilities with single admission rates cost less to operate than stand-alone and single-use facilities," Recreation Manager Brad Anderson told council. "It provides the best value for residents, encourages regular use, and is essential to the facility’s cost recovery model."

Admission rate increases

Admission rates at Genesis Place are scheduled to rise Sept. 1 under a 1.7 per cent Consumer Price Index adjustment approved by council. For example, an adult monthly pass will increase from $77.50 to $78.81. A two-adult family pass will rise from $145.25 to $147.73.

Dempsey said swim-only pricing could have improved affordability without undermining the broader cost structure.

"Maybe the extra money that would be the shortfall… they can get up - in other people that haven’t been using the facility to its full potential," he said.

Housing, migration and affordability

Dempsey said rising housing costs are putting pressure on families and seniors, and pledged to make affordability a core campaign issue.

"Housing is a critical issue, for sure," he said. "My parents would sell their house for $130,000 in rural Saskatchewan, and you can't even buy a one-bedroom condo in Airdrie for less than $275 [thousand]"

According to the Calgary Real Estate Board’s April 2025 summary, Airdrie’s benchmark price for detached homes is $654,300 — up 1.8 per cent from last year. Total residential inventory rose 170.6 per cent year-over-year to 433 active listings, but prices held flat, suggesting what one local realtor called "probably a ceiling for now."

Dempsey said younger families are being priced out, while seniors face limited options for downsizing or supported housing.

"The median age [is] 35 years old in Airdrie, which is very, very young... I think the other critical one is senior housing," he said. "If we're not following through on that, it leave a gap in what we're doing as a city that we're not protecting some of our most vulnerable people."

"We're seeing a lot of migration to Alberta right now," he added. "Airdrie had almost 4,000 people move here last year. Housing is a critical situation for us right now."

Real estate work, caregiving and community ties

Dempsey has lived in Airdrie for more than a decade and works as a realtor. He said his profession does not pose a conflict of interest and emphasized he is not a developer.

"I'm not a developer, so I'm not here to make money for developers," he said. "Part of my platform is, let's make it better for the citizens and not for the developers."

Before entering real estate, Dempsey worked in homebuilding and oil and gas, including roles in customer service and product development. He said working in real estate gives him more flexibility for caregiving, volunteering, and public service.

"I have a special needs child who needs doctors' appointments," he said. "It gives me a bit more flexibility... to do things like the volunteering, do things like taking care of my child and spending time, perhaps, on city council."

He said he has volunteered in both Calgary and Airdrie and described himself as deeply connected to the community.

"People know who I am, what I do," he said. "I like the community... I want to put as much into it as I can."

Name recognition and trust

Dempsey said running as a first-time candidate brings challenges, especially in a field that may include incumbents with greater name recognition.

"If I'm going to try to drive change as the everyday citizen of Airdrie, there's a bit of a concern," he said. "There's some people that have been on the council for a while."

Still, he said he would respect the outcome if voters choose familiar names.

"If people are comfortable... with those types of decision making, then I'm comfortable, because that's the citizens of Airdrie voting, right?"

Improving city communication

While the City of Airdrie offers a digital service portal called myAIRDRIE, Dempsey said residents need more immediate and consistent updates.

To improve access to information, Dempsey proposed a city-run app that delivers real-time alerts.

"Everybody's on their smartphone 100 times a day," he said. "Have a tiny little app as an update that [says], 'By the way, we're having a water shortage currently.'"

The city’s current platform, myAIRDRIE, allows residents to manage taxes, utilities, permits and registrations. It includes optional notifications.

Candidate status

According to the City of Airdrie’s public register, Dempsey is one of two candidates who have officially submitted nomination papers for the 2025 municipal election. Simisola Obasan is also nominated.

Three others — Tomisin (Tomi) Adenipekun, Darrell Belyk, and Jay Raymundo — have filed a Notice of Intent to Run. Belyk currently serves on city council.

Nomination packages must be filed by noon on Sept. 22. Election day is Oct. 20.

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