Dene
Pronunciation: DEH-NEH
Map
Candidates
| Name | Contest | Taproot Survey | Website | Disclosure | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Complete | N/A | N/A | |||
| Councillor | Complete | N/A | Aaron4Dene | |||
| Councillor | Complete | N/A | Tricia_Velt | |||
| Councillor | Complete | N/A | LanaPal54113268 | |||
| Councillor | Incomplete | N/A | GHumanitySeed |
Taproot Survey responses
Taproot has put together 30 multiple-choice questions drawing from what we heard when we asked voters what key issues they wanted the candidates to be talking about as they competed for votes in the 2021 municipal election. We sent this survey to candidates; now voters have an opportunity to answer the same questions to see how they align with those who are running for mayor and council in their wards.
Taproot received 4 responses to the Taproot Survey from candidates in this ward. Here they are by category:
Economy
How much should the city spend to help local business recover from the pandemic?
a) It should spend more
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) Current support is sufficient
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) It should spend less
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Is the city's current approach to encouraging economic diversification heading in the right direction?
a) Yes, we have effective initiatives in place
No candidates selected this response
b) No, the city should put more resources behind nurturing homegrown businesses
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) No, the city should put more resources behind attracting global businesses
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do you support the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy released in June?
a) Yes, and we should fully fund the plan
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) Yes, at the current level of investment
No candidates selected this response
c) No, we have already spent enough on downtown
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) No, I support investment in downtown but not this plan
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Environment
What do you think of the Community Energy Transition Strategy and action plan?
a) It's a good start but we need to go farther to reach our goals
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
b) It's a strong plan; we just need to follow it
Aaron Paquette Councillor
c) The action items are too expensive
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
d) Climate action is not the responsibility of the city
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Should effects on the climate be taken into account in every decision city council makes?
a) Yes, every decision has climate implications
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) Yes for some decisions but not all
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) No, most decisions don't have climate implications
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do you think city council should have approved the Epcor's E.L. Smith Solar Farm?
a) Yes
No candidates selected this response
b) No, I support solar power but that's the wrong location
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) No, I don't support solar power anywhere
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Finances
What do you think the city's main fiscal challenge is?
a) City council hasn't been willing to raise taxes enough
No candidates selected this response
b) The city has limited ability to raise revenues
Aaron Paquette Councillor
c) The city spends too much
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) The city spends its resources inefficiently
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
What do you think of the city's revenue split between residential and business taxes?
a) The current mix is acceptable
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) Residences should pay more
No candidates selected this response
c) Businesses should pay more
No candidates selected this response
d) Both should pay less, even if that means a reduction of services
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
What do you think of the size of the city's workforce?
a) The city has about the right number of employees
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
b) The city has too many employees
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) The city has too few employees
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Housing and homelessness
How should the city approach the provision of affordable housing?
a) The city should build more affordable housing, even if it can't get funding from other orders of government
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) The city cannot afford to build more affordable housing without financial support from other orders of government
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
c) The city should not build more affordable housing regardless of financial support from other orders of government
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Should the city expand its Housing First programs?
a) Yes, Housing First is the right approach and we need more of it
b) No, the existing programs are sufficient
No candidates selected this response
c) No, residents should undergo treatment for underlying issues such as substance use and mental illness before participating in housing programs
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) No, this shouldn't be the city's responsibility
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
How should the city address encampments?
a) The current policy towards encampments is acceptable
b) Encampments should be allowed if there are no better housing options available
No candidates selected this response
c) Encampments should be dismantled immediately
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Planning
Which statement best describes your opinion of city council's zoning decisions?
a) Council has shown the right amount of flexibility regarding zoning bylaws
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
b) Council has been too flexible under pressure from developers
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) Council has not been flexible enough to make way for development
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do you support the city's current approach to infill?
a) Yes
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) No, primarily because it harms the character of mature neighbourhoods
No candidates selected this response
c) No, primarily because it allows too much gentrification
No candidates selected this response
d) No, primarily because it interferes with market forces
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
How should council bring the 15-minute districts described in the City Plan to life?
a) Council should use every tool at its disposal, including financial penalties and incentives
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) Council should rely mostly on zoning decisions to support their creation
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) Council should not intentionally create 15-minute districts
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Police
Which statement best captures your beliefs about racism and the Edmonton Police Service?
a) Systemic racism is apparent throughout the EPS
No candidates selected this response
b) The EPS is not racist on the whole, but there are some racist members
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) There is no racism within the EPS
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
What should be done about the police budget?
a) Increase it as determined by the funding formula
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) Freeze it until it is in line with comparable cities
No candidates selected this response
c) Decrease it somewhat
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
d) Defund the police altogether
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
When police request funding for capital projects, how should council respond?
a) Council should trust the police to know what they need and generally approve their requests
No candidates selected this response
b) Council should closely scrutinize all requests
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) Council should not approve any further funding requests from police
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Politics and governance
Should candidates disclose their donors?
a) Yes, before the election
No candidates selected this response
b) Yes, after the election
c) They shouldn't have donors
Aaron Paquette Councillor
d) They shouldn't have to disclose donors at any point
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Should city council continue to have a code of conduct?
a) Yes, and the current one is working fine
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) Yes, but the current one is not doing the job
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
c) No, elections are a sufficient mechanism for governing councillors' conduct
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do referendum questions and Senate votes belong on municipal ballots?
a) Yes
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
b) No
No candidates selected this response
c) I accept the principle but object to some or all of these additions
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Quality of life
How much should the city spend to help the arts sector recover from the pandemic?
a) It should spend more
No candidates selected this response
b) Current support is sufficient
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) It should spend less
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Should the city have more permanent public washrooms?
a) Yes, we need more permanent public washrooms
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) No, we have enough
No candidates selected this response
c) No, we shouldn't have any
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do you support the city's current approach to upholding the spirit and specifics of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action?
a) Yes, I support the current approach
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) No, the city should do more
No candidates selected this response
c) No, the city is doing more than it should
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Roads
What should the residential speed limit be?
a) 30 km/h
No candidates selected this response
b) 40 km/h
c) 50 km/h
Lana Palmer Councillor
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Where do you stand on accommodating active transportation?
a) The city should make roads more accessible to active transportation
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) The city has enough infrastructure for active transportation
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) The city should make roads less accessible to active transportation
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Do you support the expansion of major roads?
a) I support these expansions
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
b) I oppose these expansions, primarily on financial grounds
No candidates selected this response
c) I oppose these expansions, primarily on environmental grounds
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
Transit
What should be done about transit fares?
a) Fares should decrease
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Aaron Paquette Councillor
b) Fares should be frozen where they are
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) Fares should go up as planned
No candidates selected this response
d) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
What is your position on the bus network redesign?
a) It struck the right balance between frequency and coverage
No candidates selected this response
b) It sacrificed too much coverage to provide more frequency
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Lana Palmer Councillor
c) The city should have taken money from something else to increase frequency and maintain coverage
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) Regardless of how it is configured, the city spends too much on transit
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response
What should be done about LRT expansion?
a) Divert budget from other projects to build the LRT more quickly
No candidates selected this response
b) Continue with the current plan
c) Pause LRT construction and consider bus rapid transit instead
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
d) Pause LRT construction and explore more future-focused technology like autonomous vehicle networks
No candidates selected this response
e) I don't have a position on this issue
No candidates selected this response