By Leah Murray

The economy and city spending top priorities for City Council

Jan 30, 2018 | 4:42 PM

MEDICINE HAT – City Council has set its list of strategic priorities for the next four years.

Mayor Ted Clugston outlined the directives during the annual State of the City address Tuesday afternoon.

Many of the objectives are similar to what the previous council had hoped to focus on, but this time around they have ranked them by importance.

1. Fiscal responsibility
2. Economic development
3. Infrastructure renewal
4. Community safety and vibrancy
5. Sunshine hospitality

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Fiscal responsibility comes in at the top of the list. The previous council faced a major decline in revenue with the crash in oil, gas and other commodities at the end of 2014. The previous council implemented a Financially Fit for the Future plan to help reduce costs and increase revenue in order to fill the $23 million dollar gap in revenue. Councillors said for now, they plan to stick with that framework.

Economic development was arguably one of the biggest issues to come up during the last election. Many candidates said it needed to be a bigger focus, and Clugston said that’s why it’s second on the list.

Clugston said there are some big business announcements on the way.

“I can’t say much because I’m bound by non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements,” Clugston explained.

However, he was able to speak in general terms about what residents can expect to see happen.

Clugston said they have signed non-disclosure agreements with “six or seven” companies looking to invest in Medicine Hat and open up shop. He noted the projects are worth between $50 to $200 million and that could equate to hundreds of new jobs in the near future. The mayor added that unlike in the past, these companies aren’t oil and gas businesses.

“These are new industries that will be diversifying our economy, which is really quite exciting because we’ve all talked about that, Alberta’s talked about it forever,” said Clugston. “Not that I have anything against oil and gas, but we know the roller coaster that it is. So, hopefully these will be something new and diversified.”

Clugston said announcements about new companies coming to Medicine Hat could start to happen within the next two months, but it’s ultimately up the businesses themselves to choose when to announce.

The other council priorities include Infrastructure renewal, which will be a continuation of a 30 plus year plan to replace aging underground infrastructure in the city. Community safety and vibrancy will centre around things like police, fire services and berms. Finally sunshine hospitality will be a focus on tourism.

The Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce says the policies align well with what the business community would like to see happen over the next four years.

“Economic development I think is something that our community has needed for quite some time,” said first vice president Sarah MacKenzie. “In the last few years we have seen some growth. Invest Medicine Hat has brought some good attraction and I think we’re going to see more of that.”

The focus on fiscal responsibility is also a big sticking point for the Chamber.

“I think right now given a lot that’s going on federally and provincially we need to do everything we can to support our small business community,” Mackenzie explained.

“We can’t afford to be spending irresponsibly and causing citizens and small business owners to pay more money [in taxes].”

More details on the city’s strategic priorities will be made available, likely at the next council meeting on February 5th, 2018.