Hugh Pettigrew is the latest Banff resident to announce he is taking a run for council in the October municipal election.
Pettigrew, who lost the mayoral race to Karen Sorensen by 265 votes in 2017, filed his nomination papers on Monday (Aug. 16) to seek a seat as a councillor in the upcoming election.
“With this election and the economic situation we’re in because of COVID, I think it’s important for me to realize that my skill set will be best used at this time as a councillor,” he said.
Pettigrew believes the next four-year council term will be primarily about economic recovery from the fallout of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic of the last 18 months, and holding the line on spending as a result.
He said he wants to see council’s strategic priority plan, which includes a vision for the townsite by way of programs and projects, revisited in light of this.
“The election, to me, is about economic recovery and whether or not we can afford these costs,” he said.
“We have an incredible opportunity in front of us, for new blood at the table, to open up a discussion on these matters that have a huge impact on all of us.”
During the past four years, Pettigrew has remained vocal about the Town of Banff’s spending, including calls against increasing municipal taxes.
“We’ve had an almost 50 per cent increase in taxes over the last 10 years,” he said, also adding he is concerned about the provincial 5:1 mill rate cap’s impact on residential taxes in the next few years.
“Yes, it will take five years to implement, but to me, without spending a dime extra on our taxes, we’re going to see the residential side take a 27 per cent increase in taxes over that period.”
If elected, Pettigrew will also call on council to revisit how profits from paid parking revenue should be spent.
“There needs to be discussion about how we’re going to even spend the money on paid parking,” he said.
“Until we recover from this pandemic, it’s about making sure the residents don’t get hit – and the businesses can’t afford the tax increases either – so how are we going to do that? I want to be at the table to discuss options.”
Issues surrounding food security, community safety and environmental strategies are part of Pettigrew’s election campaign.
But a big one is a call for inclusive housing in Banff to prevent the ongoing exodus of seniors or those with disabilities from the community.
“Where are they going to reside? We’ve got to keep them local … inclusive housing is what I’m after,” he said.
Married to Alanna Pettigrew who runs the Banff Food Rescue, he has been a Banff resident for 40 years.
He worked for the Town of Banff as an engineering technologist from 1991 to 2001. Following that, he was director of operations for the MD of Bighorn and deputy director for Foothills County, where he led the engineering and public works teams.
“I’ve got almost 30 years of direct experience in municipal government, so I think I am a step ahead in some ways,” he said.
Although he lost in the 2017 election, Pettigrew remained involved in local politics over the last four years, regularly attending council meetings before the pandemic and later by way of virtual meetings.
“I’ve done my homework being at the table; I am not saying I’ve been right every time, but I did ask some tough questions,” he said.
“I have a collaborative style and I look for information and dig for information.”
Pettigrew joins Mark Walker and Jessia Arsenio as the only other Banff council candidates to file nomination papers. In the mayor’s race, Brian Standish, a current councillor, is running against Stavros Karlos, who stepped away from politics in 2017.
In neighbouring Canmore, Vi Sanford and Sean Krausert are running for the mayor’s seat, while council candidates include Christoph Braier, Vijay Domingo, Wade Graham, Hans Helder, Jeff Hilstad, Jeff Mah, Karen Marra, Jyn San Miguel and Rob Seeley.
