Madelaine Wessel acclaimed new Town councillor

Residents of Barrhead won’t be heading to polls in July.

Madelaine Wessel has been acclaimed as Town councillor. Wessel was the only person to throw her name into the ring to fill the vacancy left by Linda West, who resigned her position on April 11 after more than six years as an elected municipal representative.

Wessel said she was very surprised to be elected by acclamation, but she is very honoured at the same time.

Elections are always interesting, and a great democratic process, but she will start sitting as a Town councillor much sooner than if an election had been necessary.

Had more people submitted their names for the position, residents would have headed to the polls on July 6.

“It has been a number of years since I last served on Town council, and it was a very rewarding experience,” Wessel said.

“I was always hoping to be able to go back to it someday, and the timing seemed to be right.

“My other obligations are not what they once were, and I now have the time I believe a councillor needs to dedicate to the position.”

A councillor needs to be available and approachable to all ratepayers, and to represent the best interests of all residents in the most efficient way possible, Wessel said.

“I believe the current council has been doing a great job of managing taxpayers’ dollars and looking after the interests of the community.”

“I just hope to be able to do my small part in that.”

A lot of thought went into submitting her name, because she said she wanted to make sure she had the resources and the time available. Wessel first began serving as a municipal councillor in the 1990s. She was elected for three terms for a total of nine years, and retired at the time due to family commitments.

“There was personal time I needed for myself and my family,” she said.

The hiatus from Town council provided a chance for Wessel to refresh herself. She took an active interest in some new endeavours, as well. A year and a half ago, she applied for a position with the senate of the University of Alberta.

“I was very lucky to be elected, and I’ve been with the senate for more than a year now.”

The senate is the academic governing body of the university, and it represents the interests of the students and their families. Members of the senate are charged with connecting with the community at large and educating the public on what the university is and what it does.

“It’s a very fascinating job, and I’m very humbled to be a part of it. I have had a chance to congratulate a number of Barrhead graduates at convocation last week.”

Mayor Brian Schulz said with the acclamation, there couldn’t be a better person for the job than Wessel.

She has experience at the council table, and she is very active within the community and has done a tremendous job.

“I look forward to working with her,” he said. “There will be no learning curve with Madelaine’s role as a councillor, and she’ll be able to step right in assume her duties. With her in the seat, council will run very smoothly and with the purpose of serving our community the best we can.”

Schulz and Wessel have served on council together in the past. He said she works well with everyone, but she’s also her own person with her own ideas, and she isn’t intimidated to let those ideas be known.

“In no way does she go by the status quo, and she’s driven with the passion to make Barrhead a better place in which to live.

“If she doesn’t agree with something, she’ll let council know, and I really look forward to that.”

By law, the Town had to open up nominations to the public in order to find a new councillor. Schulz said he was a little disappointed that there weren’t more people who stepped up to submit their name.

“You hear complaints from people about how to run the Town, so I was expecting more people to submit their names, but I’m definitely not disappointed that Madelaine is our new councillor,” he said.

Wessel said she wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to attend last night’s council meeting, as she still has convocation ceremonies to attend.