Civic campaign week: Debates, job creation, police budget

Saskatoon mayoral candidates exchanged verbal jabs over two debates this week after taking a brief break on Monday because of the provincial election.

On Wednesday, all six candidates — Don Atchison, Charlie Clark, Rob Norris, Zubair Sheikh, Cary Tarasoff and Mark Zielke — squared off in a 90-minute debate hosted by the North Saskatoon Business Association (NSBA).

The debate largely focused on economic topics. Each candidate gave an opening speech, was asked a question, and then the floor was opened up to another candidate who could counter.

The format led to plenty of shouting from the outset as candidates spoke over one another to get their points across.

After Norris was asked about city spending, he detailed his plans to reduce the 2021 tax hike by implementing a hiring freeze. Clark shot back asking what other services would be cut to account for the remaining savings, stating a hiring freeze would only free up $1 million.

“You’re failing to actually be fiscally prudent,” Norris said at one point during the exchange.

Don Atchison entered in the heated debate when he challenged Clark’s answer to economic stability and future leadership.

“If you talk about running the city like a business right now, you’re doing an awfully poor job of it,” Atchison said.

At one point, Cary Tarasoff said Saskatoon Land — the land development branch of the city — is in a “conflict of interest,” and should be distanced from the administration or a separate entity entirely.

Rob Norris announces his plan to implement an immigration nominee program if he is elected as mayor on Nov. 9. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

Norris pledges immediate support for an immigration nominee program

Norris gathered reporters on Thursday to pledge his support for an immigration nominee program. Norris said he would like to introduce the program “within minutes” if he is elected as mayor on Nov. 9.

Norris wants to use a federal program that was announced in the federal Liberals 2019 platform but is yet to be offered to any municipalities.

“It’s going to be a competitive process,” Norris said. “We anticipate there are probably 35 municipalities that would qualify, and that there are likely maybe 10 or 12 to be selected. There are no freebies here.”

Norris figures his previous experience as a provincial MLA will improve his efforts to lobby Ottawa and bring anywhere from 50 to 100 applicants to Saskatoon from abroad. The proposed program is for 5,000 spaces across the country.

Clark plans to create 15,000 new jobs

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Charlie Clark announced his plan to create 15,000 new jobs in Saskatoon on Friday.

Citing job creation of roughly 11,900 jobs created in Saskatoon from 2017 to March of 2020, Clark said even more jobs could be created in the city if he is to be re-elected for a second term.

Clark created an economic growth strategy two weeks before COVID-19 arrived in Saskatoon. He said one of his first acts if he is re-elected is to implement the plan with a target of creating 15,000 new jobs.

“I think it’s very important that we set a goal for job creation to help give people something to work towards,” he said.

While job creation largely falls on the private sector and market conditions, Clark said his job to be a champion of the city will go a long way to helping job creation.

As far as how COVID-19 could affect his plan to reach his target goal, Clark believes the city is “in a position of strength.”

“We have to find new ways to tell the story of what’s going on,” Clark said.

Atchison wants more funding for police

Atchison said he would like to hire at least 60 more police officers in Saskatoon if he is elected as mayor.

Atchison said the city needs to return to some of its old policies, like street checks, to drive down crime statistics.

Atchison also accused city council and administration of “defunding the police service through creep” over the previous few years as the police share of the overall budget dipped from over 26 per cent to roughly 20 per cent in the past 10 years.

He would also like to build more recreation centres in Saskatoon and build programming to keep youth active and off the streets. Hiring roughly 60 police officers would cost around $6 million.

“I think policing is still the number one concern of everyone in our community,” he said.

Atchison didn’t have a target date in mind to hire officers, but said it would have to be “certainly less than 10 years.”

Earlier in the week, Cary Tarasoff criticized the city’s multi-year budget and its lack of attention towards affordable housing in Saskatoon.