A rancher, a plumber and a former town councillor say they plan to be on the ballot for this fall’s Sturgeon County council election.
Thomas Yurchak, Deanna Stang, and Rick Kuefler announced last week that they would run for council in divisions 2, 5 and 6 (respectively).
Yurchak, 43, is the owner and sole employee of YSC Mechanical, a plumbing operation based in Sturgeon County. He lives near the Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club.
“We all sit there and complain about some of the stuff that happens in our division and county,” he said, when asked why he chose to run. “The easiest way to see if I can fix anything is to see if I can get involved and get into power.”
Campaigning on a slogan of “young and inexperienced against seasoned,” Yurchak proudly said that he had no prior political experience and had done little volunteer work, apart from some time as a baseball coach.
“What we see in politics today is the same guarantees and promises,” he said. “To me, it’s all ‘blah blah blah.’” Today’s leaders don’t keep their word, he said, which is why nothing changes when they’re elected.
Yurchak said he takes a different approach. “I don’t make promises. I promise to represent (my division) as best as I can. If changes can be made … I think we definitely need them.”
Yurchak said his 18 years of experience in the construction industry would help him better scrutinize developments brought before council.
“If elected, I’ll make decisions based on business, not on government,” he continued. He wanted to re-examine the county’s spending, and called for a more detailed budget. (He had not taken a detailed look at the most recent budget.)
He also wanted explanations for some of the expense reports submitted by councillors. “Why are they so high?” he asked. “There’s no details on why they’re going to the places they’re going and what they’re spending money on.”
Yurchak is running against candidate Susan Evans in Division 2. Incumbent Tom Flynn is running for mayor.
Stang, 40, is the co-owner of DRP Industries and served on Legal’s town council from 2004 to 2007. She restarted the Legal Preschool in 1999, chaired the Friends of the Legal School Society and served as a board member with the Legal Minor Hockey Association.
Stang, who lives just outside of Legal, said she wanted to participate in the growth of Sturgeon County by running for office. “I think Sturgeon County has more to it than just (oil) upgraders,” she said. “There are a lot of businesses here that could use an extra voice.”
Stang pushed for more communication with residents, starting with quarterly town hall meetings.
She also hoped to improve relations with other governments. “When I was on Legal council, we met with Sturgeon County once a year,” she said. “Once a year was not enough.”
Stang is running against incumbent Joe Milligan and candidate Patrick Tighe in Division 5.
In a media release, Kuefler said his 26 years as a cattle farmer and years of community involvement would make him a strong voice on county council.
Kuefler said he had been encouraged to run so that residents would have someone who represented their priorities, which included lower taxes and improved services. “There has also been a lack of co-operation on council, and this needs to change.” Kuefler said he would work with council and treat all residents with respect.
The county needed to do more to balance its industrial and agricultural growth, he continued, and to make sure its roads kept up with its growth.
Kuefler owns Northern Liquid Feeds and is a past board member with the Woodland Ranchers Association.
He is running against incumbent Karen Shaw in Division 6.
Nomination Day is Sept. 23.
