MOOSE JAW — Former city councillor Chris Warren has announced that he is running again to be councillor in the upcoming Nov. 13 municipal election. Presented below are Warren’s answers to questions from the Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. Some of his answers have been edited for length.
Why have you decided to run again/what prompted you to run again?
I am running for council because I love Moose Jaw, and my passion is to serve. I possess a strong desire to provide excellent and quality services, and I’ve spent 16 years working to make life better for citizens because I care about what you think.
I love making a difference, and I want to make life in Moose Jaw better now, and for our future generations. I am grateful to be part of this community. It would be an honour and a privilege to serve you again on council, and I commit to working hard to represent you at city hall.
You quit being a councillor in 2020 because of work commitments, if I recall correctly. Is your work situation now more flexible or accommodating with you returning as a councillor?
I decided not to run for city council in 2020 because I was going through a separation with my wife and I wanted to devote all of my attention to my family. It was a very difficult decision because my four years on Moose Jaw city council provided some of the most rewarding opportunities I've had in my life.
Fast forward to today, and personally, things are amazing for me. My loving partner, Sommer, and our children Hanna, Tayler, Jack, Dane, Paika and River are my rocks, and they are by my side as we navigate this journey together.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
If elected, I hope to create an environment where business and tourism thrives. I hope that our city council can work together to attract industrial development that creates jobs and grows our economy. I hope that I can work with city hall to improve city services to address critical infrastructure needs and to make everyday life better.
I hope that I can work to ensure we have a fair and balanced and affordable property tax system. I hope that I can collaborate with city council, federal and provincial government, and community leaders to find real solutions to the social issues in our community. Lastly, I hope that I’ll be able to look back in 2028 and say that I made a difference and Moose Jaw is a better place to live, work, play and visit.
What would be your top area(s) of focus?
My top areas of focus are to support local business, create economic development, boost tourism, enhance city services, and find solutions to address our social issues.
What issues do you think need to be addressed in Moose Jaw?
I think some of the top issues at this time are finding a landfill location that works for our city and our regional partners, growing the agri-food industrial park, investing in core infrastructure such as roads and water, supporting local businesses so they can thrive, finding solutions for food and housing security, and reviewing our property tax assessment model to ensure it is fair and balanced.
How would you make life more affordable for residents?
My goal would be to work with council and administration to keep property tax increases fair, reasonable, and affordable. While I recognize that some increases may be necessary due to the inflationary costs of providing services and maintaining our infrastructure, we need to ensure we are prioritizing that work and those services to ensure we are delivering core services that meet the needs of citizens and the future prosperity of our community.
That means that if there are non-core services that the City Hall is funding, I would look closely at how we might be able to reduce that funding and redirect to higher priorities.
How would you reign in excessive and/or unnecessary spending? Would you consider cutting taxes or reducing projects?
The short answer is yes, I would consider cutting and reducing, but I would need to ensure the cuts do not negatively impact citizen or infrastructure needs, now or in the future.
What that means to me is that instead of just adding more money to maintain or improve a service, we need to evaluate the services city hall provides, get a true understanding of the costs and delivery of the services, and make changes within existing resources that will have a positive impact on the customer experience and needs.
Would you approve of using taxpayers’ money to support the Hilton Hotel project and/or a related parkade?
Economic development is so important to a municipality and is a sign of confidence that a city is a good place to live, work, play, and visit. Moose Jaw is also a city built on tourism, and revitalizing River Street with a hotel would be unbelievably great for our city.
I believe a municipality should not directly fund private industry or private developments, but there are many things we can look at doing to support a development like this, including quick and efficient permit processes, selling city land, and waiving property taxes or development fees through incentive programs.
How would you address the issues facing the community’s impoverished and homeless residents?
First and foremost, I am devastated that Riverside Mission has closed and left Moose Jaw. I have personally volunteered to cook and serve food there, and I have sponsored some meals as well. This is a big loss to the community and there is a big void to fill.
My view on this issue is that this is very complex. I understand that there are always going to be opposing views to any issue, and this one is no different. I will do my best to find harmony between those views and find a balanced solution that works for the entire community.
There are different levels of government, and each level has different roles and responsibilities. For Moose Jaw, I believe there are a few things we can do as a municipality, such as ensuring we have appropriate land-use planning and zoning bylaws to allow support services to thrive in areas with the greatest need, lobby federal and provincial leaders for funding to support wrap-around services, meet with local leaders to gain a fulsome understanding of the needs of our community, and support organizations that provide important services in our community.
This is just a starting point, and if I am elected, I would do my best to work with my colleagues on council to find that delicate balance in supporting all of the needs of our community.
How would you enhance security or safety in the community?
My goal would be to ensure our Moose Jaw Police Service is adequately funded to address crime and enhance safety, so that our citizens feel safe walking down Main Street or strolling through Crescent Park.
I also want to ensure our police have adequate options to connect members of our community that are struggling with addictions or challenged with social issues with the organizations in our city that can provide that help and support they need.
What steps would you take to increase economic growth or encourage businesses to move here?
We need to ensure Moose Jaw has a healthy economy so that our current businesses can thrive, and we attract new business and new industry.
I will strive to foster an environment where property taxes fair and affordable, promote the city to increase tourism, keep our city and downtown clean, ensure Moose Jaw police have the resources they need to keep Moose Jaw safe, ensure city incentives are attractive to industry, fast track permit applications, work with provincial and federal governments to attract head offices and industry, and make land available for industrial development.
How would you address the problems between SAMA and the business community?
I am aware that there have been issues with our property tax assessment model for many years, and that it is a complex system contracted out to SAMA for an annual amount of over $650,000. I have also talked with members of our community and there is a general frustration with both the model, and city hall’s ability to fully understand or investigate the issues embedded in SAMA, a third-party organization.
My understanding is that city council was to work with the new city manager, review the situation, and work to bring forward options to address the frustrations and the issues. I intend to bring this forward, research other municipalities property tax assessment models, and work to ensure we have a model that is fair and balanced.
Would you halt spending money on the agri-food industrial park until an anchor tenant is found?
With the Great Plains Power Station project acting as a catalyst to create a concept plan and bring water and sewer services to the agri-food industrial park, the city has created space and opportunities for industrial development to prosper. I support the concept that as land is sold, and servicing requirements are determined, proceeds from the land sale would allow the City to bring services to the property.
However, I also recognize that sometimes municipalities must attract industry through incentives such as exemptions and/or reductions of taxes, fees, and development levies, so I would strive to find the right balance of supporting community priorities with preparing the community for future growth and economic prosperity.
What is your long-term vision for the community 10 to 20 years down the road? How would you bring that to fruition?
My vision for Moose Jaw is that people come to visit, to make a home, to raise a family, to work, and to play. My vision is that citizens feel valued when interacting with city hall and believe that city hall cares about them. My vision is that we are a community where everyone contributes and is proud to say, “I live in Moose Jaw!”
Why are you the best person for this role?
I spent my career working to make life better for citizens because I truly care about what you think. I love being able to make a difference in someone’s life, and I want to make a difference in Moose Jaw. I am grateful to be part of such a great community and would love another opportunity to serve you. I’ve demonstrated this in my career, and my time on council, and I commit to working hard to represent you at city hall.
What are your top skills/qualities/attributes?
I believe I am a good communicator, good listener, and a strong collaborator, and I have learned through my leadership and political roles in public service that communication and collaboration are essential to accomplish a vision or a goal.
I understand that a councillor or a mayor only has one vote, so it is so critical that I work with colleagues on council, employees at city hall, and community members to find good solutions and make decisions that benefit us all.
Why should people vote for you?
There are many amazing candidates running for city Council and our community has many great choices. Throughout my career, I have strived to serve and make positive change, and I am extremely excited at another opportunity to make my community a better place to live, work, play, and visit. I would be honoured, and grateful, if you chose me to be one of your voices on city council, and I commit to working hard for you, for our city, and for our future.
