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Municipal Politics

SarcasticMarmot said:
Was it though? Yes, it certainly was a large part of the coverage and rhetoric. But it seems to me that the candidates that talked most about infill (mostly negatively) didn't do very well. I would posit that the majority of the electorate didn't actually care about infill as an issue. Provincial overreach, public disorder, homelessness, and infrastructure seemed to actually be the big issues. The results suggest that infill was an issue for a vocal minority.
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Of course it wasn't the only issue, but it was definitely a very well discussed issue. Many of those who were in favour of the changes to infill previously approved modified their positions in response to public input.
 
TAS said:
If I was on city council, I seriously would be lurking on here - a lot of good insights about city issues and general public feedback is available here.
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policyenthusiast said:
It's a healthier mix than Reddit for sure, but the best way to raise issues is still by speaking to your councillor. Now is the best time to build connections, especially with the new electorate.
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Yeah, while it would be lovely if city councillors or admin did lurk here, I don't know how likely it is. I think it's up to us to take the great ideas that we hone here to them, and we could definitely stand to be more organized and consistent in doing so.
 
^ There are many admin-types who regularly contribute to this site and I know of at least 2 councillors who have visited here without comment (I get why they wouldn't want to open that can of worms). As seems to be true in most politics, it is often difficult to discern who is there for the good of the community and who is there for some level of self-aggrandizement (I am speaking of politicos only).
 
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Better Edmonton says they are not going away, but two of their three elected councilors are ditching the brand (Clarke & Elliott; Principe, perhaps unsurprisingly, is ducking questions): https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/better-edmonton-council-candidates-drop-political-party

While mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell had said the party would be going dormant after the election, Better Edmonton’s new chair, Cameron Johnson, now says the party isn’t going anywhere.

“Tim’s no longer part of the party. He has stepped down,” he said. “We got what we consider to be pretty good results and we think another four years with the time ahead of us, we can really come to the table next election and do much better.

“We’re here to hopefully unite the business community and centre-right around one party so we can put forward a list of candidates for mayor and council next election and not split the vote. You will be hearing from us. We will make our own comments about the direction we feel they’re going and need to go.”
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Staying online and pushing towards a different election result next time was markedly different from what Clarke said the plan was when he signed on.

He said the decision to continue the Better Edmonton brand was what prompted him to make sure his disassociation was made public.

“When Tim Cartmell came out in September and said the party wouldn’t exist post-election, that was the impression I had,” said Clarke. “I just want to make it really clear to everyone that I’m one voice for everyone in the ward. Whether they voted for me or not, I have to represent all the people here.
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The full article is worth a read. The party is trying to say that these guys are doing it with their "blessing", which strikes me as confusing: Is this just a face-saving effort, or a recognition that their "brand" is actively unhelpful?
 
Well they say they are not going away and perhaps that is true, but between all the parties only three councilors were elected, two have now left and the remaining one may be considering her future.

So the parties may continue as along as the province encourages them, but will they remain very relevant?
 
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