A long-time resident of Estevan has decided to take a shot at Estevan city council.
Mark Henderson says he has always been interested in council, and he believes the timing is right, because he has the time to commit to the job. If he were to be elected, council would be his focus.
“I like working with people,” said Henderson. “I like having input. I’m pretty analytical. I like to take a look at things and come up with a decision that way. I’ve always followed local government goings-on and the processes they make to make those decisions.”
The current city council has done a good job over the past four years, he said, of paying down debt and completing capital projects.
“But there are challenges ahead. This is a different year. The economy is going to be a strong issue in this election. We need people to be able to work with the community, to try to come up with common goals with the council and the community, to create a safe and inviting community, but also a community that creates lots of opportunities for our children and our grandchildren, our parents and our grandparents,” said Henderson.
The community needs to come up with solutions to the challenges down the road. Estevan will need new economic drivers to create jobs and create growth in the community, enticing young families to move and stay here.
“I always think about a lot of the facilities. Presently we have some great facilities. They’re looking good. And I think we always have to have a plan in place to make sure that we’re investing in those facilities, that we get full term out of them.”
Even though user groups drop off, which means there might not be a user group at the facility, the city still needs to maintain the site.
“People have put in the hard work and the sweat equity to build some of these facilities, especially the user groups and some of the individuals who really get behind these sorts of things. We don’t want them to go to waste.”
He recalls some of the old facilities that were built in the past that were excellent when they opened, but eventually fell into disrepair. Lynn Prime Park in north Estevan was one within city limits that he cited; it was eventually brought back to a high standard more than a decade ago, and it has hosted a number of marquee events.
“We want to make sure that all of the facilities are in top shape all of the time, because it always make the community look good,” said Henderson.
