Mayoral candidate Brent Chisholm on the challenges facing Calgary

Editor's Note: As part of our coverage for the Oct. 16 civic election, CBC Calgary has offered each candidate for the office of mayor the opportunity to write up to 700 words on our website, outlining what they believe to be the greatest challenges facing our city, and what they would do about those challenges if elected. These articles are run as submitted edited only to meet CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices. This article is part of that series. The CBC's primary goal through our election coverage is to provide citizens with the information they need to make an informed decision on polling day.

I Brent Chisholm am running to become the next Mayor of this city who will lead by example.

I'll be held accountable for what I say I'll do, and I will complete the job. The Mayor and council will become a team that is well oiled, and knows what has to be done to keep this city moving in the right direction and back to a World Class city.

For starters, I'd like the citizens of this city to call their council person (alderperson) when they see or feel that there is a safety problem, or an unsightly problem, in their neighbourhood. I'm asking them to document the date and time and who they spoke to, even if it was an answering machine. After 7 days, if they do not get a reply, I'm asking them to call me on the 8thday, since I'm the councilman for everyone in Calgary.

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I will then go to see the problem, discuss it with the citizen, and call the boss in whichever department deals with that problem and bring them out to rectify the problem, while staying there myself to help get it completed in a timely fashion. I'll then ask the citizen for a copy of their documentation stating when their alderperson was called and how they were not responded to, until they called me. Also, the date of completion of said problem.

After I've received 2000 complaints and had them rectified, I'll ask certain council persons why they have not done their job for their citizens. And I'll ask people who have complaints to come down in council chambers and ask councillors why they should get paid for not doing their job.

I have some older lawyer friends who I'm going to ask to look at the city's books, to see if alderpersons can be terminated for not doing their job. It will be like a recall legislation.

I am going to have my salary capped at $84,000 a year take-home, and I'm asking all other council members to do the same so we will be working for our money and not milking the public. We, the politicians, must realize and remember that we are there to serve the citizens of this city and not use them as a bankroll to early retirement.

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For starters, this city will purchase some snowplowing semi-trucks that will blow snow into the box of their truck, then into the box of other trucks, so a grader doesn't block vehicles in their parking place by an enormous amount of snow. That block could mean a tow truck pulling out the vehicles and towing them to the impound lot, where there is a charge for each day and the initial tow to get it there, and a parking ticket on top.

These individuals have to get to work and get their kids to school, which they use their vehicles for. These people don't need a hefty bill to get their vehicle back so they can keep their life in order.

I'd like to be invited to every community within this city of Calgary, along with their alderperson, so we can hear what the citizens of that area feel about their home zone. That way we can hear and know what those citizens want in their area, so we can fulfill their requests and make this city a very warm, friendly and welcoming place which our people are proud of, and others would like to move to and call home.