There’s been a change of the guard at the St. Albert Taxpayers’ Association (SATA) with a new president acclaimed.
Gord Hennigar, one of the original founders of the group, is the new president of the organization. Long-time president Lynda Flannery did not run for re-election at the annual general meeting earlier this month but will stay on as director.
Besides needing more time to deal with some personal issues, Flannery said she was concerned her face was becoming synonymous with SATA.
“I think I was becoming too identified or, more accurately, SATA was becoming too identified with me, at least in the minds of, for example Mayor [Nolan] Crouse, but others on council.”
Flannery said she wants to devote her time as director to building the group’s membership base, which she says stands at 60 people with a mailing list of 150.
“It more has to do with networking and direct contact,” she said. “We have members who are a part of other groups who will suggest we can work through those groups in terms of talking about SATA.”
Of her time as president, Flannery said she is most proud of pushing council to be more accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars.
“Our biggest accomplishment has been putting spending and taxing issues on the city’s agenda,” she said. “That became very clear in the last election when everyone was talking about that, both current members of council and candidates.
Hennigar is also committed to building the group’s membership with an emphasis on marketing and PR. But he also wants to work with some councillors on how the city could better manage its dollars.
“There are two councillors I know and have spoken to who are in tune with the taxpayers,” Hennigar said, speaking specifically of Malcolm Parker and Cam MacKay. “My plan is to target both of those councillors.”
Hennigar wants to see council address St. Albert’s high property taxes, effectively utilize the space it owns and conduct an employee audit to ensure the city is getting the best value for its dollar. He takes particular issue with Servus Credit Union Place, claiming the two indoor soccer fields are utilized only 43 per cent of the time, something that doesn’t sit well with the group. He cited a complex in San Jose, Calif. that is succeeding.
“The complex is divided up and each association basically run their own facility, or they wouldn’t survive,” he said. “Here, the way we do it, if there’s a loss, the taxpayers pick it up.”
He said he would convene the first board meeting in early January.
