Impact of Bill 20 on municipalities, according to a former Wetaskiwin mayor

Tyler Gandam reflects on losing the Mayor’s chair in Wetaskiwin, Alta. after 2 terms and provides his insight on the current political climate.

Tyler Gandam, the former mayor of Wetaskiwin and former Alberta Municipalities president, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins on how the provincial government can affect municipal affairs.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Michael Higgins: The former mayor of Wetaskiwin joins us now. Tyler Gandam, good to see you, sir. Welcome back.

Tyler Gandam: Good to see you as well. Thanks for having me.

MH: I say former, because after two terms you lost the mayor’s chair in last month’s municipal election, replaced by Joe Branko. How are you reflecting on that outcome?

TG: It’s been a lot of mixed emotions, for sure. I woke up Tuesday morning following the election thinking, “Okay, alright.” It took some time to decompress and figure out what’s next for me, but I think as the days and the weeks go on, I feel six inches taller and about 10,000 pounds have been lifted off of my shoulder. So it’s been a really good transition.

MH: So eight years as mayor. What did that open your eyes to where municipal governance at the community level is concerned?

TG: I think how important it is that municipalities are sharing what issues they have in their own area. You can look across the province and we’ve got a number of different municipalities facing similar challenges, but it’s always going to be different than how you address those challenges.

I think the deeper you can get as an elected official on the municipal level in terms of what those challenges are, and trying to find some solutions. It’s easy to come to the province or anyone with a problem, but come with a solution as well and start working on what that can look like. I think just having the ability to make some of those fundamental changes and being able to shift and transition what your community looks like is a great opportunity to be connected.

MH: Similar challenges across municipalities, but how much change did you observe in the political dynamic through a total of 12 years spent on council, first as a councillor, then two terms as mayor?

TG: A great deal, and I think it’s the support that you get around you, the level of – I don’t want to call it effort, but as much time and energy you put into something, I think you get to see that back in terms of the changes and the challenges you’re able to address at the municipal level. I think it goes way beyond just being elected, either mayor or councillor, getting in there and talking to your provincial and federal elected colleagues.

I think there’s a real opportunity now especially that the municipal level of elected officials and leadership can really create some change for themselves, watching what’s happening, both provincially and federally.

MH: You were one of only a few mayors to have faced a recall petition. What did you take away from that experience as you’re able to step back now and look at it?

TG: I think at the time, I felt the exact same way as I do right now. It is horrible legislation. It’s not democratic. We have elections every four years. The province has shown that if there are problems with municipally elected officials, they can deal with it and remove those people from office, but I think it takes away from the work, and it’s super distracting. And I’m sorry that it’s taken Albertans to target MLAs and ministers across the province, for the province to realize that maybe that it’s poor legislation.

I’m just glad that they’re realizing now that it is poor legislation. I had a friend reach out to me and asked me how I felt watching all of these MLAs being recalled and saying that I must love it. I don’t. I think it absolutely takes away from the democratic process and how a person can operate in that elected position, regardless of whether or not it’s a popular decision or not, and mine’s a great example of that. You support a homeless shelter, it is by far not the popular decision or the popular choice, and then you get held to account by some people who think that I should be removed as a mayor because I’m doing what I think is in the best interest of the community, just like what MLAs and ministers are doing across the province.

MH: Away from the local level, many of our viewers from the past few years will maybe more readily recognize you for your role most recently as president of Alberta Municipalities,the umbrella organization advocating for towns and cities across the province. How are you reflecting on that role now that it has come to pass?

TG: That was such a tremendous opportunity to be able to be the voice for the 260 or 270 members of Alberta Municipalities, and hearing what they have going on in terms of issues and being able to help guide them for how they’re able to make those changes or the help that they need. Maybe they didn’t have that opportunity before.

It’s been such a great opportunity to be able to be the voice of nearly 300 municipalities across the province and working closely with the provincial government. I think much of the legislation that was introduced might not have been favorable for municipalities. We still had the opportunity to create some change with that as well. I look at the grants in place of taxes and the low cost interest loans that the province had changed, we get little tweaks with that local government fiscal framework, the funding that municipalities get for their infrastructure, we were able to create some change through that.

I think the next board that will be elected late next week will again continue to get to work with the provincial government, expressing their concerns about new legislation because it is coming out fairly quickly now, and I don’t think it’s what is going to be in the best interest of municipalities. They certainly have their work cut out for them and I’m looking forward to seeing the kind of work that they’re going to be doing over the next couple of years.

MH: With that in mind, you held the reins through some pretty contentious times where relations with the Smith government are concerned. The changes in legislation had an impact on municipal governments. How would you describe the evolution of those relations? You saw different personalities as well in the Municipal Affairs portfolio.

TG: I think it always comes down to relationships and relationship building. You can fundamentally disagree with the policy, and as long as that’s what you’re debating with somebody, it makes it pretty difficult for them to take it personally, or for me to take it personally. I think if you’re looking at how you’re going to change that legislation, how that policy might affect a municipality and some of the unattended consequences that they would have, I think that’s really important.

Communication is key just like anything else, but building that relationship fundamentally, understanding where each party is coming from and then moving forward on that, I think that you’re going to be able to see some of those changes made. It’s not going to change everything, and it’s certainly going to create tough situations for municipalities to operate in as it has in the past. If you don’t have that relationship first, it’s going to make it really difficult to have any kind of change happen.

MH: There is interim leadership at Alberta Municipalities for the moment, but fall convention, as you mentioned moments ago, is coming up very quickly. What advice do you have for whomever fills your shoes, whoever is elected the next president?

TG: The interim president right now, Deborah Reed Mickler, and I met yesterday and talked about that too, and she asked about some advice on just convention and the role that she plays as president for that. The only thing I could think of is to have fun.

I know the people that are running in the next election. I know the people who are there right now. Their hearts are all in the right places. I know they’re incredibly smart, they’re incredibly talented and capable, but every once in a while you need to be able to enjoy the work that you’re doing as well. That’s what I would pass on to the next president. Don’t take it personally. There were a few times that Minister McIver and I would have a back and forth in the press, and I took that personally, where he is just a far more seasoned politician than I was.

I think that remembering where it’s coming from, what the motivation is, and the fact that you can reach out and have a conversation with any one of the ministers or the premier, and making sure that we’re all on the same page in terms of where we want to go. But don’t take it personally. It’s a job. Some would call it a show, and they need to put on their best front or their best face, but it’s certainly not personal attacks against you.