By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

Small business, safety and the environment top priorities for council candidate Joey Shackleford

Oct 6, 2017 | 12:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE – He’s running for a spot on city council because he says he’s committed to a strong police, fire and EMS presence, along with creating and maintaining solid city infrastructure.
 
Retired Teacher Joey Shackleford is a third generation Lethbridgian. His father and grandfather used to own all of the theatres in the city and his grandfather was also a former mayor. Over the last five years, he too has worked for a small business, and believes it is the lifeblood of the city.
 
“Small business still holds a special place for me, especially downtown, because that’s where all of the theatres were situated in the early days. And growing up as a kid in Lethbridge, that was the centre of my universe back then.”
 
There are also some initiatives Shackelford believes the newly elected council members should prioritize, including harnessing the energy of the Lethbridge landfill; similar to what the city of Regina is now doing. He says it’s an endless amount of energy, and would generate a substantial and continuing revenue stream for the city.
 
He explains In 2012 the city had engineering firm AECOM look at the land fill as an energy source. The firm came back with three recommendations, but not much has been done since then.
 
“It has sat in committee for the last five years. That’s an important issue for people, I think. It’s great for the environment, reduces environmental impact. It’s a potential revenue stream for city coffers without having to raise people’s taxes.”
 
He says it now puts Lethbridge 10 years behind Regina, because it takes about five years to get a bioreactor plant up and running.
 
“It’s a win-win situation. I don’t understand why it’s been shelved for the last five years.”