A vibrant, connected community can only thrive when it has a solid financial foundation. Every road we build, every service we deliver, and every opportunity we pursue depends on disciplined, forward-looking financial stewardship.

Long-term financial strength is about more than balancing the books. It safeguards affordability for residents, allows us to maintain and renew our infrastructure, and enables us to pursue new opportunities without placing the burden on future generations. It also underpins our ability to diversify the economy and maintain our strong quality of life – making Okotoks a place where families, businesses, and community life can flourish. As the community evolves, we want to enhance what we love about Okotoks today and ensure  that future growth not only accommodates population and economic shifts but also strengthens community attachment, local opportunity, and quality of life.

Over the past four years, we’ve taken major steps to strengthen our foundation: introducing multi-year budgeting, defining service levels, adopting a Growth Management Strategy, and improving transparency through clear reporting. These efforts have positioned us well, but the work must continue.

The Next Four Years (2025–2029): Strengthening Our Foundation

To remain financially resilient and future-ready, we will need to build on this progress through key initiatives:

• Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Embedding our new ERM Policy into decision-making will help us proactively manage risks and opportunities, guided by purpose, people, planet, and prosperity.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Using forecasting, growth models, and service analytics to ensure Council decisions are evidence-based, transparent, and measurable.  Understanding initial investment costs, operating and maintenance costs, replacement costs and how each of these will be funded.
• Priority-Based Budgeting: Shaping our four-year budget cycle around community priorities so limited resources are directed where they deliver the greatest impact.
• Growth Management Strategy: Guiding when and where development occurs, balancing affordability, infrastructure capacity, and long-term sustainability. The Growth Strategy supports decision-making that considers multiple perspectives, helping us grow in a way that enhances economic opportunity and quality of life for current and future residents.
• Evolving the Off-Site Levy Bylaw: Shifting more of the upfront cost of growth away from the municipality.
• Infrastructure Reserves: Protecting and expanding reserves dedicated to renewing roads, utilities, recreation, and community facilities – avoiding costly deferrals that burden future generations.
• Quadruple Bottom Line Approach: Assessing every major financial decision not just by dollars, but by its impact on people, purpose, planet, and prosperity—ensuring well-rounded, sustainable growth.

My Commitment

By strengthening our financial foundation, we are also strengthening Okotoks’ infrastructure and economy. With discipline, innovation, and foresight, we will continue to balance affordability with investment – keeping our community thriving today and for generations to come.

In Okotoks, infrastructure is more than just roads, pipes and buildings; it’s the foundation from which we build a strong, connected, and thriving Okotoks. From recreation centres that bring people together, to the roadways and pathways that move us safely, our infrastructure threads weave themselves into a strong community fabric.

But building and maintaining this backbone requires balance. We must carefully consider financial capacity, community needs, and operational impacts to determine what gets built and when. It’s easy to “want” the next thing. It’s much more challenging to identify needs, prioritize those needs, and wisely budget to ensure ongoing financial sustainability.

Key Focus Areas

1. Recreation Centre Expansion

The Okotoks Recreation Centre is the heart of community activity. We have already issued a Request for Proposal to design and cost an expansion that would potentially include new leisure aquatics, a climbing wall, an indoor playground, and a community hub. With the Regional Water Pipeline scheduled for completion in 2026, I would propose that this expansion become our next major infrastructure priority.

1. Data-Driven Transportation Planning

Our Transportation Master Plan (scheduled for completion in early 2026) provides us with the data we need to make informed choices about roads and pathways. By analyzing traffic patterns and community growth, we can prioritize projects that improve connectivity, safety, and accessibility for all residents.

1. Proactive Maintenance of Current Assets

Protecting what we already have is as important as building new. Through our asset management program, we are continuing to strengthen proactive maintenance strategies that extend the life of roads, parks, and facilities. This approach keeps infrastructure safe, reduces long-term costs, and ensures services remain reliable.

My Commitment

We must be deliberate in how we invest in infrastructure. Our focus should be on resilience and readiness – making sure today’s decisions support tomorrow’s needs. Infrastructure is more than concrete and steel; it’s the framework that supports our community’s well-being. By focusing on strategic expansions, proactive maintenance, and data-driven planning, we can build a future where Okotoks continues to be a place of connection, opportunity, and a high quality of life.

Okotoks is more than where we live – it’s where we raise our families, build friendships, and create memories. To keep our community strong for both today’s residents and future generations, we need an economy that grows in many directions. Economic diversification gives us the foundation for affordable homes, good local jobs, quality services, and a community where families can thrive for decades to come.

Vision for a Diversified Economy

• Broaden Our Industry Base: Grow sectors such as light and medium industrial, agri-business and research, logistics, advanced manufacturing, eco-industrial development, commercial services, and even a regional recreation hub.
• Smart Employment Planning: Develop employment lands close to existing and future infrastructure—roads, water, sewer, and transit – so people can live, work, and invest in Okotoks without long commutes.
• Arts & Culture as an Economic Driver: Strengthen Okotoks’ creative economy by creating spaces for performances, investing in local artists, and growing a strong local audience. Arts and culture not only enrich our community spirit but also draw visitors, support small businesses, and create opportunities for creative entrepreneurs.
• Protect What We Love: Design gateways, green infrastructure, and environmentally sensitive development so that as we grow, we preserve the natural beauty and character of our town. This in turn supports investment attraction because enterprise and people want to live and do business in dynamic, beautiful communities with high quality of life.

Why Diversification Matters to You

Economic diversification is more than a strategy – it has direct benefits for your family, your wallet, and your lifestyle:

1. Strengthen Municipal Revenue

• A strong mix of businesses spreads the cost of services, reducing reliance on residential taxes.
• This helps fund roads, emergency services, parks, recreation, and other essential services without overburdening homeowners.

2. More Local Jobs, Less Commuting

• New business parks and employment lands mean more people can work closer to home, saving time and money.
• Reduced commuting also lowers greenhouse gas emissions and improves quality of life.
• Local opportunities help attract and retain youth and skilled talent in Okotoks.

3. Better Community Livability & Amenities

• Revenue from a diverse economy funds cultural facilities, recreation amenities, programs, and public spaces.
• Supports affordable housing initiatives, making Okotoks a community where people can stay, grow, and thrive.
• Encourages environmentally responsible development that preserves Okotoks’ natural beauty.
• Arts and culture investments strengthen community identity, attract tourism, and create vibrant spaces where residents and visitors connect.

Plans Already in Motion

This vision is already built into Okotoks’ strategic plans:

• 2024–2029 Economic Development Strategic Plan: Prioritizes economic diversification, supports new business sectors, encourages investment, and strengthens the downtown while leveraging tourism as a growth driver.
  Read the full plan
• North Point Area Structure Plan (NPASP): Provides a blueprint for 246 hectares (≈608 acres) of employment lands in the northeast, planned for industrial, agri-business, advanced manufacturing, eco-industrial, and logistics sectors over the next 20 years. An interchange at Highway 2/338 Avenue will make the area accessible and attractive for businesses.
  Read the full plan

My Commitment

Okotoks is growing. We have plans in place – but the focus on next steps matters.

If re-elected, I will advocate for economic diversification to be a key component of our strategic plan, with focus on:

• Expanding employment lands and infrastructure efficiently.
• Supporting business growth and attracting diverse economic sectors.
• Guiding development enhances affordability, livability, and environmental stewardship.
• Investing in arts and culture as a catalyst for both economic growth and community vibrancy, ensuring creative industries are part of our long-term prosperity.

When we diversify our economy, we are investing in our future – a future that offers quality employment opportunities.