MOOSE JAW — Ashlea Street announced that she’ll be running for a spot on city council in the upcoming civic election. Following her announcement, the Moose Jaw Express reached out with a few questions.
Q: “What motivated you to enter public service?”
A: “I am motivated by this city and the people, (as well as) my family, my kids, and for so many more reasons,” Street replied. “This city has so much potential (and) we are missing out.”
Q: “How would you describe yourself as both an individual and as a candidate?”
A: “I am a loyal person with ethics and morals who works hard and holds myself accountable,” Street said. “I am very passionate, but those who know me (know that) I wear my heart on my sleeve and when I commit to something I am all in!
“I am also very optimistic and always looking to find solutions. My mind needs to be stimulated and I like to be informed, so I spend my time gaining knowledge as I believe knowledge is power and this is what has prepared me for life — which is something I am able to provide the city if elected.”
Q: “How do you stay connected to the community?”
A: “I stay connected through recreation, family, my kids, my business, and sponsoring and supporting many organizations throughout the community. We always support local. We live and pay taxes in this community and want to stay in this community for generations to come.”
Q: “How would you describe your vision for the city?”
A: “I would describe my vision as providing solutions, working together, building relations, and growing the economy for better jobs, housing, and business,” she replied. “I would like to see Moose Jaw catch up to other cities on the maintenance side to show we have stability and that, with building these, we can bring new revenue and bring the tax base down for our existing residents.
"Why do we keep turning business away? We look like the city that has our noses in the air. Moose Jaw is better than this and I want to build a reputation that we are welcoming and want to create relationships. That is good business practice and being a good human; this is where we can be leaders and show (future) generations how it works."
Q: “How will you ensure accountability and transparency in your role?”
A: “I have morals, integrity, and values,” she said. “I believe this ensures the citizens that they are voting for a candidate that holds the true values for what a city councillor should be. I will hold myself and those (around me) accountable and have transparency.”
Q: “What are your top guiding values?”
A: Street said that her top guiding values include loyalty, accountability, integrity, transparency, and building relationships through cooperation. She values hard work, commitment, the pursuit of knowledge, and follows a strong sense of ethics in her decision-making process.
Q: “What would you say are the top three issues or concerns that you would like to address?”
A: Street said her top three concerns include better support for local businesses, reviewing property assessments, and managing the city budget better.
“We need to be open for business and build new relationships, as well as maintaining the relationships we already have.
“We need to look at digging into property assessments along with the processes and procedures of how they are being done for the betterment of our citizens.
“We need to learn to budget and manage the budget properly and spend and cut (as required) for the (betterment) of this city, (in order) to gain revenue.
“Citizens need to have an understanding. They need to see where their property taxes are being spent; when they see this they (develop) trust. We need to make the city more accessible for the citizens — this is called transparency.”
Q: “In your own words, why should people vote for you?”
A: “I don’t like to waste time or money, and I like to get to work to get things done. I am about improving this city and I am about all citizens of this city. I will work for this city,” she replied.
“Now, I am not saying I will always do things the right way necessarily, but I will own it, and will always do my very best to work towards making the right decisions that are brought forth by the citizens of this city.”
Street concluded with a message for residents to consider ahead of the upcoming election.
“We can all have ideas, but we also have to know that the citizens are relying on us as candidates to make change for the better and to make them proud,” she said. “To simplify it, we need to show citizens (that) their money is being well spent and that they are seeing change.”
Ashlea Street maintains a Facebook campaign page at ‘Ashlea Street for City Council,’ as well as a website at Beacons.ai/AshleaStreet. She can be reached at [email protected].
A complete list of election candidates with a link to their interviews can be found at "MJVotes24: A list of all 29 candidates in upcoming civic election."
The upcoming civic election will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
