Since being elected as the Town of Westlock’s new mayor, Ralph Leriger has been kept busy getting up to speed as his first term in office ramps up.
Despite sitting as mayor for only two months in 2013, Leriger said there was a lot of time he put into his new role.
“It’s only been two months, but it’s been a very busy two months,” he said. “I’ve been spending time getting comfortable with our staff, getting to know my council and getting to know our elected officials from our neighbouring municipalities.”
During that time, he said the biggest thing has been balancing his platform and goals with the fact he is new to the Westlock political game.
“There’s an expectation to hit the ground running, but at the same time it’s a very steep learning curve,” he said.
Leriger’s plan for 2014 in Westlock is influenced by the fact municipal politicians now sit for four years, which gives them more time to accomplish their goals.
As such, he said he views 2014 as a “transition year,” one that could be used for “setting the cornerstone for Westlock’s future.”
In order to use 2014 as a transition year, Leriger said a lot of time will be devoted to analyzing the issues he would like to see addressed before putting in place a plan to resolve those issues.
Among the issues on the burner are the town’s long-term financial situation, “methodical” replacement of infrastructure, and how frequently the municipality can deliver which services.
This also includes reviewing the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre’s business plan and expenditures, with the end goal being to create a sustainable operations strategy for the recreation facility, which opened its doors in 2012.
While in-town issues are of course top of mind, Leriger is also looking at things from a regional perspective, and seeing what services could be provided that cross municipal boundaries into the Village of Clyde, Westlock County and the county and town of Barrhead.
Although he looks forward to the amalgamation discussion taking place, he said it’s far too early to speculate what will happen, given the grant application for the amalgamation study was only recently submitted to the province.
The past may be what affects what the future will be, but for Leriger, there’s no sense dwelling on what has already been done previously.
“I do not spend a lot of time doing what I would call navel gazing,” he said, explaining he prefers to think of the past as something that can’t be changed, so current situations are merely things that need to be resolved.
Looking at the coming year, and recognizing the need to continue to get a grasp on the issues facing the municipality, Leriger said he welcomes input from his fellow citizens and encourages them to contact him personally.
“I would encourage anybody who wants to discuss the town’s plans to give me a call whenever they’d like,” he said.
