YORKTON – The 2024 Municipal Election set for Nov. 13 will see the public cast their votes with two mayoral candidates and 10 councillors to choose from.
SaskToday.ca reached out to each candidate with a set of questions to help inform the public on who they're voting for.
Randy Goulden, Candidate for City Council
First, a brief history of your time in the city. How long have you been here, work experience, political experience, etc.
I've served and been an active member of the Yorkton City Council, and in that time served on every City committee. I have been a board member for the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association for more than 14 years, including the last two as President. I've also represented municipal interests on a national stage through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for more than 14 years.
In my regular work life, I also serve Yorkton as Executive Director of Tourism Yorkton and the Yorkton Film Festival.
Why do you feel you're qualified to represent the public on City Council?
In the years I've been representing the people of Yorkton, I've gained a deep understanding of municipal issues, policy, and governance—but more importantly, I have learned how to work well with others. Being a good city councillor means building strong relationships and being a good listener, and I think my record shows I bring those skills to the table for our residents.
What issues do you feel are the most pressing for the city?
Infrastructure is always going to be an important issue for any municipal government, because we are responsible for linear infrastructure (think roads, sidewalks, water and wastewater) and quality of life infrastructure (recreation and culture). The City maintains 237 km of linear assets, that would run from Yorkton to Vegreville AB. Public safety is also a pressing issue—not just policing, but also the root issues of mental health, addictions and housing.
How would you plan to address these issues?
Both infrastructure and public safety require working with our partners in the provincial government, because those issues can't be solved by the City alone. Not only are health and housing technically provincial responsibilities, but municipal governments have limited options to fund the infrastructure, services, and facilities we all rely on. I will continue to work with and advocate to the provincial government, and to discuss the root causes with my fellow councillors and city residents, so we can all work together to find and implement solutions that work.
In Yorkton we're experiencing concerns with homelessness, drug abuse, mental health, and crime. Though separate issues they're often intertwined and something that falls on the shoulders of the provincial government. What steps would you, as a city councillor, take to ensure a closer working relationship with the provincial government so that a meaningful impact on these issues can be made? What work or education do you have that qualifies your answer?
Municipalities are often left with no choice but to take on responsibilities that actually fall outside our jurisdiction because, as the government closest to the people, we simply cannot look away. So, I fully agree that it's important for the provincial government to provide funding and services that are consistent and effective. I will continue to push for the province to fund and resource both preventative and recovery-oriented care for drug, alcohol, addictions, mental health, and housing issues. As I've said before, in public and in meetings with provincial officials, mental health, addictions, and housing insecurity are neither moral problems nor individual failures. These health and social crises can happen to anyone, and we should show our respect by seeing to the most basic needs of all our residents.
What would you do to improve on transparency to maintain the public's trust in their municipal government?
Public discussion and decision making is a fundamental part of municipal government, and I think it's important to ensure council limits in-camera sessions so residents can understand why we're doing what we're doing. I strongly believe that the City of Yorkton needs a strategic plan, built with community consultation, that provides a clear vision of where we want to go, how we plan to get there, and what success looks like. That adds clarity and transparency for our decisions, and allows everyone to monitor and evaluate how we're performing.
