Rajko Dodic running for re-election on Lethbridge City Council

One of the main reasons I want to run for City Council again is to ensure that we, as a Council, focus on the issues that are within the City’s jurisdiction. We often veer off into areas of Provincial and Federal jurisdiction that end up costing municipal taxpayers money rather than having those costs properly borne by the Federal or Provincial Government. Sometimes, we become consumed with social issues, which, of course, are important, but often are not within our primary jurisdiction, and in doing so, we lose sight of the fact that we were elected to also deal with somewhat mundane matters such as infrastructure issues involving our roads, water, sewer and so on.

I could go on ad infinitum but the bottom line is that I want to be on Council to help ensure that the citizens get the best municipal services they can without breaking the bank in doing so; and at the same time, making sure that the Federal and Provincial Governments contribute their fair share in providing the services that they are obligated to provide and which are sorely needed. All orders of government have a role to play in ensuring that we have a healthy, safe and viable community, and I want to be part of a partnership that works towards that goal.

What personal or professional experience do you have that you feel would make you a good city councillor?

I have served as a Councillor and Mayor in Lethbridge and have been a lawyer here for a very long time. I would suggest that my past experience, both in the legal and municipal arenas, has provided me with an ability and the necessary tools to be able to work through the numerous and varied issues that City Council faces. A former councillor once stated that they “weren’t burdened with a legal mind” when referring to me. The context of the comment had to do with a zoning issue, which City Council had to deal with involving a proposed development. Issues dealing with land use and zoning changes involve Public Hearings, which City Council often has to participate in, and which are referred to as being quasi-judicial in nature in the sense that various rules need to be followed. Those decisions can be reviewable by a Court, and a legal background has served me well when I participate in Public Hearings, both in terms of allowing me to ask relevant questions and to arrive at a legally defensible decision. In short, planning issues often have legal considerations that need to be addressed; a recent example of a Planning issue coming off the rails involves the Calgary City Council, who despite large citizen opposition, approved “blanket rezoning” for single family residential areas in Calgary, which meant that any owner of a single family residence could tear it down or expand it to accommodate multi-residential dwellings without requiring neighbourhood input. City Council went ahead with the “blanket rezoning,” and now the decision has been legally challenged, and it will take some time to find out what the final outcome will be.

To make a long answer short, I think I can make a positive contribution in terms of making good decisions based on my experience and background.

What would be a few of your top priorities if elected?

Defining what the top priorities are is a bit problematic in that our citizens have diverse views of what a priority is to them. For many, it is a third river crossing, but the cost of the City building one without [the] financial input of other orders of Government would be extremely prohibitive. For example, at the beginning of the 2021 term, I posed the question of the financial impact building an additional bridge would have in terms of municipal taxes, and the answer was that it would require a 10% tax increase just for the bridge itself for 15 years, which, of course, would not be palatable to most people.

Of course, the issue of having a safe community looms large in people’s minds and has always been a priority, and I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, priorities run headlong into funding issues in that the City raises money primarily through property taxes and utility rates, and Council has to balance wants and needs, having regard to the limited capacity we have for raising money and, at the same time, making sure that we don’t tax our citizens and businesses to the point that is unsustainable. There are really essentially two parallel tracks that priorities could be categorized as being the need for ongoing maintenance of our infrastructure and the health and safety priorities that require Council to ensure that protective services, including Police, Fire and EMT services, are provided in a timely and effective manner.

Where can people learn more about you and your platform?

In terms of learning what my ‘platform’ is, I don’t have a website nor do I have social media accounts, where politicians often tout out an oft-stated mantra that they support more services with less taxes, which, of course, is not possible. But, if people want to know where I stand on various issues, the City Website publishes past agendas and, as well, has a digital video of prior Council and Board Meetings dealing with the various issues that have come before Council. Looking at my past debates and voting patterns reflects more accurately what I support and stand for, rather than any statement I could give when I am trying to convince someone to re-elect me.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The final point I wish to make is what I have said in the past, and that is that I promise to read the voluminous material that I am required to read before any meeting, ask relevant questions, and make the best decision I can on the issue being dealt with. It is a promise I have made and kept on my prior terms on Council….and that will not change.

More coverage of the 2025 Municipal Election is available here.

by David Opinko

Rajko Dodic running for re-election on Lethbridge City Council

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