Councillor Kendrick Cardinal says his decision to put forward a motion that transitions RMWB Councillors to full-time was done to bring further engagement to what the Council does.

He brought the motion forward at Tuesday’s meeting, which passed 6-3.

Cardinal says he believes it was the right thing to do.

“Dedication from full-time Councillors can fully dedicate their time to the role without distractions or secondary employment; this allows them to focus entirely on the needs of the municipality,” Cardinal said. “They’re more accessible to more constituents, offering greater availability for meetings, community events, and probably addressing public concerns more.”

Cardinal says he recognizes the way he went about it didn’t include public consultation, but he believes this will give Councillors more time to hear resident concerns. 

“It’s the taxpayers’ dollars that we’re spending, as well as the big picture of how it’s all going to look,” Cardinal said. “Bringing this motion forward brings accountability for the administration, accountability to put some fire under other Councillors to be able to do their job with more clout, drive, and fire in their veins to have more debates like this.”

Cardinal adds this won’t be the last time he brings a motion to the floor without giving administration notice. 

A petition has been organized calling for the Alberta Ministry of Municipal Affairs to investigate the process of this decision.