Former City Councillor Wayne Armishaw is looking to once again be part of the City of Lacombe’s decision making process and has announced he will be running for council in this year’s election.
He served six terms from 1986 – 2004 before deciding to take a hiatus on council. Now, he has decided to get back in the game.
In fact, Armishaw said there are quite a few people who didn’t know he had left.
“There is a number of people that actually still believe I’m still on council,” said Armishaw, laughing.
He added that he still attends City council meetings quite often and has a large interest in what goes on in Lacombe.
Curiosity and a desire to get more involved with the community were reasons Armishaw cited for wanting to get involved with council during his first run.
He said he enjoyed being part of the group that made decisions to determine what would happen in the community and serving that community.
Armishaw went on to say that, while on council, he tried his best to see that City funds were spent on tangible, practical assets the community could enjoy.
He added that these are also reasons he is running for council once again.
“I just want to be part of that team again,” said Armishaw. He added that he left council in 2004 because he needed to switch his focus and tend to his fledgling business. Now, that business is more established and Armishaw said he thinks it’s a good time to get involved once again.
Due to his previous experience with council, Armishaw said, should he be voted into council again this election, councillors will have a different experience than if they were trying to work with someone entirely new to the role.
He also said he is very approachable and can bridge the gap that sometimes exists between citizens and council.
Armishaw said he is dedicated to representing the concerns of the people as well as the best interests of the City. He added he has a positive, can-do attitude and takes pride in the work he does as well as the City he lives in.
Keeping an open mind and listening to what people have to see is an important quality for councillors and one that Armishaw possesses, he said.
However, he added that it is just as important for councillors to “stick to their guns” at times and that a balance between the two is necessary.
Armishaw added that this also applies to council as a whole when it is making decisions. He said sometimes the decision itself isn’t as important as the work and discussion that went into making it.
“It’s not what the decision is sometimes, it’s how the decision is made.”