By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

Environmental issues and government waste top the concerns for council candidate Rena Woss

Oct 6, 2017 | 9:27 AM

LETHBRIDGE – She says the waste that’s going on at City Hall makes her hair stand on end, and that’s one of the reasons why she is running.
 
Lethbridge City Council candidate Rena Woss also believes there has never been a voice for the environment on council, and that’s what she would like to be.
 
“This is why we are in some difficulty when it comes to important issues like climate change. We’re living in a drought zone where water is scarce and droughts are frequent. We have never addressed climate change. Every level of government needs to take action on it.”
 
She says she’s a successful business person, and now that she’s going into retirement, she can use that experience to help reign in unnecessary spending.
 
“Every time they’re spending more and more of our tax dollars, that means property taxes go up and service fees go up. We need to make this community affordable for all of us.”
 
Woss says on the financial end of things, progressive cities are using something called “zero based budgeting,” meaning for every dollar, or million dollars that is spent, the city also finds a way to save the same amount in another way.
 
“That would reign us in. Our debt level has increased by double in the last four years… I find that alarming. What I would like the city to do, is every time there’s a major expense, they need to tack on for people to really be clear on it, how much their taxes are going to go up… you know, if it’s the leisure centre, I’m not even sure how much that’s costing us. Even council members don’t really know. But if it’s $175 million, how much does that mean for the ordinary person in taxation?”
 
Woss was tradesperson and a contractor and has been in business most of her life. She says she knows a lot about responsibility, especially when it comes to employees who have families that depend on her.