Incumbent City Councillor Wayne Armishaw has officially announced that he is in the race again for a seat at the council table.
According to the City’s web site, Armishaw and his family have been a part of the community since the 1970s and he is proud to represent the people of Lacombe on City council to the best of his ability.
He has extensive experience on the municipal front as well.
“I was on council from 1986 to 2004 - I did six terms,” he said, pointing out that he eventually chose to back away from the political scene. “But I never lost my interest in the local politics,” he said.
Then in 2013, a lot of folks were encouraging him to again enter the race for council - he did, and he was again successful.
“The most gratifying thing about my service on City council has been the appreciation from citizens because I’ll make the time to listen to their ideas, their thoughts and their concerns on issues that are before council,” he explained. “I’ve always done my best to put those into the debates - or ask the questions that aren’t being answered.
“I also still have the desire and the energy to continue to do that.”
The boards and committees Armishaw serves or has served on include the Mary C. Moore Public Library, the Parkland Regional Library, the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, Imagine Lacombe, the Intermunicipal Development Plan Committee, the Airport Steering Committee and the Lacombe Regional Waste Services Commission.
Outside of council, Armishaw has served as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, he a past master of Eureka Masonic Lodge, a past president of the Lacombe Rotary Club and he also operates a successful local business.
Meanwhile, he’s confident of a thriving future for the community.
“Lacombe has a new chief administrative officer and he’s a very upbeat individual and he seems very in tune with the economy,” said Armishaw. “We are also going to have a new mayor, and I believe that’s a catalyst for some very positive outcomes over the next four years,” he added.
As to some of what he’s hearing from local residents these days, he said that many are hoping for a bolstered retail sector in the City. “They’d like more retail options. They are also concerned about their taxes,” he explained, adding that he wants to ensure Lacombe is open for business. “With opportunities for success, providing her citizens with above average public service and safety while remaining a friendly, attractive and affordable community for all residents to enjoy.”
Armishaw said that ultimately, that’s what he wants to work towards. “It’s a terrific community. I’ve been here since 1971, when there were around 3,000 people,” he said. It was a busy place then and to this day, he describes Lacombe as very much a service community.
“The council, the administration and staff have worked with developers, and done a tremendous amount of work to make their plans come together,” he said.
“So far, most candidates are speaking for change. A belief for change and for improvement to proceed, there must be a thorough knowledge of the status quo including the monetary (aspect) of it,” he said.
“That’s where experience comes in. We want to talk about change. We realize if you are making a change, you’re going to have to ‘exchange’. You’re going to be changing your priorities. Something is going to be taken away, so you have to know and have a good feel for what the community wants and what it loves,” he said.
“You can make those changes, but you still have to meet the real needs.”
Looking back, Armishaw said he’s excited to see the development over the years of the downtown area. “Also, the parks and trails that we’ve continues to (develop) - they are wonderful parks and trails that we have out there. I think that the transparency with the community has also been much improved in the last term,” he said. “We’ve brought in a lot of the public input - we have a survey out now about tax dollars. So we are asking and receiving the input and seeing how it fits into the plans. And there are a lot of plans out there, and they are positive.”
Looking ahead, he’s also excited about the weeks ahead as local residents become more in tune with the municipal campaign.
“I generally interact with a lot of people in my day to day with my business. But I do look forward to the campaign door knocking and meeting with people face to face to talk.”