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Lethbridge City Manager Garth Sherwin to retire in early 2018

Oct 10, 2017 | 3:55 PM

LETHBRIDGE – He served through five mayors and 36 different councillors for more than 32 years at City Hall. But effective January 8, 2018, Lethbridge’s City Manager Garth Sherwin will retire.
 
He began in the City’s Finance Department as Director in 1985 when they didn’t have a single computer in their offices.
 
“Yeah, not one. It was quite surprising,” he recalls. “We had to do these long spreadsheets, tape them together and start making changes at one end, and you’d have to follow them through to the other. Computers have certainly helped mitigate that.”
 
In 1989, Sherwin was promoted to City Treasurer and Director of Corporate Services. In 2008, he was appointed City Manager. He says over the years Lethbridge has been very resiliant, even when the provincial economy fell into a recession in 2014.
 
“We don’t have the big ups and downs of oil and gas driven communities do. We’re agriculture based, and continually growing 1.5 to 2 per cent… I think we’re pretty fortunate to be in that state.”
 
According to a news release from the city, during his time as City Treasurer, Sherwin implemented an award-winning, multi-year operating budget process. In the 1990’s he and former Mayor David Carpenter also co-authored the ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ program for financing capital works.
 
Some of the highlights of Sherwin’s term as City Manager include the ENMAX Centre Expansion, joint high schools and library development and construction of the ATB Centre complex on the west side.
 
“It’s been fun. The best job a person could ever ask for in public service. There was so many things that happened. When you look at the work that’s been done outside, you look at all the new construction that’s been happening within the city that’s thanks to this council and previous ones for their strong vision and good, long term thinking.
 
“There’s never a really good time to retire. There’s always one more thing to do. But I think matching my term with the end of the council term is good timing… this was the best time for me.”
 
Sherwin’s advice for whomever the new council chooses, is to build relationships.
 
“Continue to put public service as number one. Look for ways to say yes. Not to say no. Work with the citizens of Lethbridge, and make this the best community possible.
 
After the municipal election October 16, City Council will be given the task of overseeing the hiring of a new City Manager.