Local financial advisor Dawn Luhning has served on city council for five consecutive terms, and she is hoping to continue offering her expansive knowledge and expertise to the residents of Moose Jaw for yet another term as their municipal representative.
“I really enjoy being a part of the community [and] being involved, being able to be on these committees and be the conduit to the city to help with certain things,” said Luhning. “I like being able to help our citizens, whether they have an issue with garbage pickup or a maintenance issue, [and] there’s a lot of things I think I bring to the table can help translate into creating good for the city of Moose Jaw that we desperately need at times.”
Luhning is one of three current city councillors campaigning to return to their positions for another term, and she feels that her experience behind the desk is a key asset to consider in her re-election.
She also cited her long career in the world of finance as a large asset, as well as being a business owner and long-standing member of the community.
“I’ve been in the [financial] industry my entire career, so my knowledge of the markets and the economy I do believe translates to my role on council,” said Luhning. “We have to be aware of the economy, of how citizens are, and especially with the pandemic being something we've never faced before.”
During her time as a councillor, Luhning said she has greatly enjoyed working with the people of Moose Jaw, with a highlight being the opportunity to serve her community and work towards improvements to benefit the city’s progress.
She has served on several committees in the city, including the Downtown Moose Jaw Association and the Police Board of Commissioners, and is the organizer of the Moose Jawg Charity Road Race, which has raised large amounts for the Moose Jaw Health Foundation.
She said that managing the budget and changing policies is one of the biggest duties of a city councillor and that her experience not only as a councillor but also as an independent financial adviser leaves her well-situated to fulfil that role.
“It’s such a big process and there’s so many moving parts to the budget that I do believe my experience of having been there is going to help the incoming council,” said Luhning. “It's definitely something I believe gives me an edge over other candidates. I’ve got some history now, as to how the city operates, and maybe some of the successes that we’ve had over the years can be adapted onto future decisions.”
Looking at the past and ahead to the future
Luhning feels very good about her past term and the things that the outgoing council accomplished during that time.
One of Luhning’s main concerns has always been promoting economic development within the city and encouraging the tourism sector, said Luhning, as well as increasing the transparency and accountability of council decisions.
She said that a large focus of the previous term was improving communication between city hall administration, council and the public.
“We get criticized sometimes that maybe we’re doing things behind the scenes or in what we call in-camera meetings, but there are things that have to be done that way,” said Luhning. “There are things that, as an ethical government, we have to be transparent about and I feel we did that, and did a really good job in that this year, in bringing the council together.”
She cited the plan to build a SaskPower natural gas power station as a positive project for the city, “one of our feathers in our cap,” as well as the work the Downtown Moose Jaw Association has done and moving forward several infrastructure projects in Moose Jaw.
In regards to the former subdivision development proposed in Wakamow Valley, Luhning was pleased to see the level of community consultation that took place, even if it was prompted by residents themselves.
She added that she voted in favour of the development in order to have it reach the public stage, but was planning on voting against the development the next time it reached council to align with the opinions expressed by the public.
In approaching a sixth term on council, Luhning said that her short-term focus will be on tackling the budget for next year in a serious and responsible way, to address potential problems caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Her long-term goals, she continued, will focus on continuing economic development and welcoming new business into the city.
“I’ve been saying for years that economic development should be coming out of the mayor’s office, and I believe on this term, the mayor’s office has done a great job in doing that. You’re never going to have successes if you don’t try,” said Luhning. “In certain instances, there may be mistakes made but if you’re not trying, you’re not going to get ahead, so those are some things I’d like to see continue in the next term.”
She also said she wants to keep working to bring Moose Jaw up-to-date with new technology for businesses and city services.
“I worry about how fast the world is changing, with things like online shopping and everything being done at our fingertips, [and] that the city is going to be behind,” said Luhning. “So I’d like to see the city be a leader in that, in the way that we’re advancing [tech projects]. Things like that should not take as long to transition over, if we’re going to be successful in the future.”
Re-election requires trust, says Luhning
For Luhning, the role of city councillor is an important responsibility and one she plans to continue taking seriously.
“You can’t take this for granted, being an elected official, and winning the approval of the electorate is a privilege and I’ve said that since my first term,” said Luhning. “I believe I have a high level of integrity and experience, and those are pertinent to a city council seat [and] I am an honest person, I will tell it like it is and I will show the other side of the story.”
Aside from her experience, skills and history, Luhning also emphasized that residents can trust her to continue being accessible and involved as a city councillor.
“My role as councillor is to look at the community as a whole and make the best decision for the community, everybody involved, not just a special interest group,” said Luhning. “I’m not an expert in everything, and I’ve made that clear over the years, but I’m willing to listen. I’m willing to learn. I’m willing to hear from citizens.”
Dawn Luhning platform in the Civic Election of 2016
dated October 16, 2016; written by Doug Hallman
Incumbent Dawn Luhning is an Independent Financial Advisor with 22 years of experience in the business. She is also the Race Director for the Moose Jawg Charity Road Race, an event that has raised $120,000 for the Health Foundation. She has completed four terms on City Council and she described the beginning as a tough learning curve, and the present as a greater comprehension of connections.
On the basis of previous experiences at council, she has a number of concerns. She thinks there has been too many meetings in-camera (meaning “behind closed doors”). In reference to the Cast Iron Water Main Replacement and LIP — the funding option, more open meetings would have been better. In interviews, Luhning has said, “The difficulties with our infrastructure and the Multiplex indicate we are not doing the basics well.”
If returned to office, she will fight for greater transparency and accountability. Luhning stresses the importance of good financial management and fiscal responsibility, as does other candidates with whom she has teamed — George Fowler, Gerry Gieni and Brian Swanson.
If there is the opportunity to examine alternative funding models for the Cast Iron Water Main Replacement Project, she wants to explore the possibility of reallocation of resources.
“We have to look at what we might cut before we go back to the people for money.”
She also wants to encourage economic development and ways of making the city look better for residents and tourists.
