Marissa Black running for Lethbridge City Council this October

Black has lived in Lethbridge her entire life and remarked that the city is “one of the greatest places to live.”

“We have such a great diversity of different industries and resources, and I know many people who have chosen to make Lethbridge their home just because it is such an awesome place to live.”

BLACK’S PLATFORM

Black believes that the role of a city councillor “is to be a conduit between the public and policy.”

“This means that I want to ensure everyone who calls Lethbridge home has a chance to have their voice heard.”

She wants the city to celebrate its diversity and allow everyone, regardless of where they are from or what their background is, to have a bright and successful future “because after all, Lethbridge’s city motto is ‘Gateway for Opportunity’.”

“I’d like to leverage public resources for good economic and social outcomes. This past year has been devastating to many people and businesses alike. This is a time for your government to be stepping up to attract resources such as grants for businesses; mental health supports and job security for all city employees.”

Black said it’s time to boost resources for Lethbridge’s most vulnerable, including the homeless and those suffering from addiction.

“At the end of the day, everyone deserves to have safety, security and a home to go to at the end of the night.”

When it comes to city infrastructure planning, she believes council needs to be more ‘forward-thinking’. Black said one aspect she has unique experience with is accessibility.

She told LNN, “I myself use mobility aids to get around and I have heard from young and old alike that this can be an issue in their everyday lives.”

“I think there should be no barriers to accessing the services you need and if elected, I would always bring this to the forefront of the discussion whenever we’re building new things.”

Black also wants to put a focus on protecting the environment.

“I also want to put an emphasis on environmental stewardship, writing policy to sustain the beautiful city we call home. One aspect of this is we have the Oldman River here and I want to ensure the water stays clean and healthy for future generations to come.”

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

Black’s background is primarily in agriculture and science, having obtained a Bachelor of Science at the University of Lethbridge.

She said, “I worked at the federal research station that is just down Jail Road, and we worked on several crop projects, sustainable agricultural practices and I think that is very helpful when you are coming into a city where many people here farm – people are very involved in that industry.”

“I think I have lots of experience in conflict resolution, managing projects and really, like I said, forward-thinking, so knowing you have your shareholders – which are the people of Lethbridge, the people who are giving grants to us, such as the federal and provincial government and kind of tying that all together to make the best decisions and have the best outcomes possible.”

Black commented that at the end of the day, her promise to Lethbridge residents is “to listen to what the public is saying, research each topic carefully and make the best decisions possible for the beautiful city we call home.”

More on Marissa Black is available here.

General voting day for the 2021 municipal election is October 18.

by Justin Goulet

Marissa Black running for Lethbridge City Council this October

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