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Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman. (Lethbridge News Now)

Year-end review: Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman

Dec 29, 2020 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – “It’s an understatement to say that it was a challenging year.”

Mayor Chris Spearman is reflecting on what has been a difficult past 12 months for many in Lethbridge with the COVID-19 pandemic challenging their health, finances, and personal liberties.

The provincial government announced business closures and restrictions in both March and November.

“Certainly, there are impacts on peoples’ businesses and we sympathize with the people who have invested in those businesses and whose income flow is directly affected. We’re also hearing from families who are struggling – people who can’t afford to pay their utility bills, can’t afford to put food on the table, can’t afford to buy presents for their kids for Christmas.”

Because of the hardships many have been facing, Lethbridge City Council was forced to take differing directions on many of their priorities.

Shortly after the first wave of shutdowns, the city allowed residents to defer their utility payments, meaning the money would still be collected eventually but gave people more time to be able to make those payments.

Council later approved six incentive programs businesses could take advantage of.

A planned 1.82 per cent increase to property taxes for 2020 was cancelled, and in the newly-approved 2021-2022 Operating Budget, further tax hikes were cancelled as well.

Speaking of the Operating Budget, it made several reductions in spending, although Councillor Joe Mauro felt it was “status quo” and did not go far enough.

Spearman, on the other hand, said it was a matter of balance.

“We could have, maybe, reduced taxes even further, but recognized that those tax reductions would happen at the expense of services. Our largest-single expense, when you take it in aggregate, is the cost of the people that work in the city, whether they be in the police service, the fire service – and we have some pressures there or any of the other services.”

Going forward, the mayor wants the city to invest in “catalytic projects” that will help to propel further economic growth.

These include the Agri-Food Hub expansion at Exhibition Park, upgrades to the Lethbridge Airport and downtown Festival Square Market Plaza, and several irrigation enhancements.

In addition to the economy, another top priority for Spearman continues to be social services.

For the last six years, he says he and the rest of city council have worked hard to try to address homelessness, poverty, and the drug crisis, but “we really haven’t had a lot of success.”

At least part of the problem is that many of these areas fall under provincial jurisdiction rather than municipal.

Back in December 2018, the then-NDP government announced $11-million for a new supportive housing complex in the city. After a year-long delay, due in part to the transition in provincial governments, the UCP re-announced the project in early 2020. Construction has yet to commence.

The Supervised Consumption Site, upon its founding by ARCHES, was deemed to be one of four pillars of continuing care for those suffering from substance addiction.

Following an audit that revealed widespread financial management, the SCS lost all of its provincial funding and closed at the end of August 2020.

Just this past week, LPS concluded their investigation into the financial issues at ARCHES. The money was all accounted for so no charges were laid.

“We need to make sure that we have housing spaces for people who cannot find housing, and there’s about 200 of them in the city – people need to have permanent and supportive housing with wrap-around services to help them because they are struggling with other issues as well.”

Spearman was encouraged to learn that The Mustard Seed plans to open a permanent supportive housing complex and a sober shelter in the city. As of this publication, the matter has yet to come before council, but there will be a public hearing at a future date.

The fall of 2021 will also play host to municipal elections across Alberta, although Spearman said he has yet to make a final decision on whether he will run for re-election.

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