Four candidates for Town of St. Paul council defended their views to a large and curious crowd at the Rec. Centre Multi Purpose room on Wednesday at the forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the St. Paul Journal. The evening brought out some of the many issues facing the Town.
Roxanne Bergheim, Alice Herperger, Richard Lavoie and Norm Noel earned the community’s respect by putting their names forward and eagerly hitting the campaign trail through the Christmas season. Congratulations to all candidates for running.
While there is only one available council seat, in the least the campaign is a good practice if any candidates choose to run again in the next general election.
While all candidates performed well under the pressure of the public spotlight, Herperger faced questions regarding her outspoken views on several Town council decisions in recent times. Herperger stood alone in drawing attention to the Town’s decision to buy out one clinic in the process of getting funding for the Wellness Centre, and in her call for a downtown warming centre for the homeless.
The forum provided the opportunity for a glimpse into the concerns of residents. One concern that came up twice is candidates’ views on taxes. One question asked if a candidate would rather cut services or increase taxes if faced with a deficit. All candidates answered in a similar manner, which is disappointing. While candidates provided thoughtful answers, the crowd pleasing answer would have been to say everything under the sun would be done to prevent another tax hike.
