Thursday, November 21, 2024
VOLUME 7 I ISSUE 22
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
SEE INSIDE FOR YOUR COPY OF THE 2024 CITY OF LLOYDMINSTER WINTER GUIDE
Lloydminster’s new elected officials CHRISTIAN APOSTOLOVSKI STAFF WRITER
.................................. The City of Lloydminster has officially sworn in mayor and council following the recent election. The results were made official Nov. 14 after voters cast their ballots the previous day. Council chambers were busy on Nov. 18 as friends and family of soon-to-be sworn-in councillors packed city hall. Judge Stephen Kritzer was there to conduct the ceremony. Mayor Gerald Aalbers returns after being acclaimed last month. He will be joined at the council table by three re-elected councillors, Coun. Jason Whiting, Coun. Michael Diachuk and Coun. David Lopez. Lopez garnered 70 per cent of the total vote in the last election. “It’s always overwhelming when you sit there and you look and you got like 2,500 votes and there’s 3,600 people that voted,” said Lopez. He says the large amount of votes he gathered shows the trust people have in him. “People trust you, and when they trust you, you have to sit there and go alright, I’ve got to fulfill what I said I was going do to,” he said. Whiting says council has a big job ahead of them. “Timing wise, after any election, you’re always heading straight into a budget and discussing the budget with some new views and some new opinions, it’s always an exciting time,” he said. Diachuk thanked the voters for their support. “The public gets it right, I was running to get elected, I wasn’t running to be first or sixth, I just didn’t want to be seventh,” said Diachuk. “They needed an old guy with white hair, and I fit the bill.” Joining the four veterans are three new councillors. Coun. Jim Taylor, Coun. Michele Charles Gustafson and Coun. Justin Vance were all sworn
Christian Apostolovski Meridian Source in for the first time taking their seats in council chambers. “I’m just excited to get inside there and get the conversations going and see what I can do as a new councillor,” said Taylor. Gustafson thanked the public for the support and looks forward to the work ahead. “I’m very grateful to the residents of Lloydminster for trusting me with the position. I know council has difficult issues and decisions to make, but I think they made a great choice in the team we have put together,” said Gustafson. “I’m really excited to work as a team with new council. I think we have a great balance.” Vance is looking to keep promises he made during his campaign. “That was homeless, hospital and overpass. That got me elected, so I’m going to have to raise
my concerns every chance I get on those three promises.” He says spending is still a key issue on his radar. “Accountability, accountable spending and wants versus needs, that’s the main thing,” said Vance. Aalbers says council has a good mix that will represent the community well. “If you look at the makeup of council, we have a wide variety of ages and backgrounds of individuals, appreciate having a mixture of male and female on council,” said Mayor Aalbers. “I think it’s a very balanced council from a perspective we will be able to represent the community very well when decisions are made and seek input from the council table.” Council has its first official meeting on Nov. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in city hall.