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.
Greg Litvanyi, 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 have lived in Yorkton for the past 45 years. My career with Yorkton Fire Protective Services was from 1990 to 2016, retiring as the Deputy Chief of Operations in 2016. I have held several positions within the Firefighters Union including the Local President and Vice President of the Saskatchewan Professional Firefighters Association. I was also the President of the Saskatchewan Motocross Association and sat for many years as the Chairperson of the School Community Council at Yorkdale Central School. More recently I have been appointed the the Development Appeals board with the City og Yorkton.
Why do you feel you're qualified to represent the public on City Council?
I believe that my combination of experience as an employee of the City, owning and operating a business in the City and all of the organizations I have been a part of provides me with a good knowledge base to represent our taxpayers.
What issues do you feel are the most pressing for the city?
Growth of our City is paramount to our success. Growth of our current businesses, promoting and attracting new business and improving our Infrastructure are key areas that need to be addressed.
How would you plan to address these issues?
My three pronged approach includes, Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency. All Departments in the City need to be held accountable including City Council. There are a number of areas that we can improve efficiency which will free up funds for growth and our infrastructure.
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?
Part of my role as the Deputy Fire Chief included being the Chairperson for a committee called the HUB. This committee facilitated the collaboration of all agencies involved in these issues. It was some of the most meaningful work that I have ever done. This type of collaboration coupled with a commitment from Provincial, Federal and Municipal governments can be utilized to combat all of these issues and ensure the supports that are required by these people are identified and utilized.
What would you do to improve on transparency to maintain the public's trust in their municipal government?
There are far too many meetings that have taken place behind closed doors and "In Camera". Council should be open and involve debate on issues that allows for respectful differences of opinion. Every effort should be made by this new Council to operate in a Transparent manner and be held accountable to the Taxpayers.
