I’m Kathy Valentino, a City Councillor from Thompson, Manitoba and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Vice-President. I’m seeking to become the Federation of Canadian Municipalities 3rd Vice-President in elections on June 9.
In my 10 years on City of Thompson Council, which include six years serving as the Deputy Mayor, I’ve learned a great deal, not only about what goes into running a municipality, but also about how to build relationships in a way that gets results.
Thompson is a remote, northern community that can be out of sight and out of mind when it comes to attracting the attention of the provincial and federal governments. But we have learned to successfully advocate for our residents and to ensure our concerns are heard by other levels of government. All those efforts have resulted in record infrastructure investments by the federal and provincial governments in the last few years, enabling us to embark on five-year projects to improve Thompson’s roads and sewer system, and to begin constructing a new aquatic centre for residents of our region.
Through my role as a City Councillor, I have been fortunate enough to serve as a Director and Vice-President for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, which represents 137 municipalities throughout the province. Through the relationships I’ve built and communities I’ve visited in these roles, I’ve come to understand the concerns and needs of Manitoba municipalities as a whole, and I believe many of those issues are shared with communities across the country.
Local governments are always being asked to do more, as responsibilities shift down from other levels of government to municipalities but I think the people we represent are best served by a focus on the basics. Fundamental issues for our citizens include improving public safety, making infrastructure investments to benefit current and future generations, and building stronger relationships with Indigenous Peoples in the spirit of reconciliation and to ensure better days ahead.
Municipalities shouldn’t have to scramble and scrape for adequate funding and all levels of government need to work together on a framework that fosters growth and keeps local governance sustainable.
As FCM 3rd Vice-President, the skills I’ve learned while helping guide my community and all Manitoba municipalities through turbulent times will be applied at a national level, recognizing that certainty benefits us all. Municipal leaders know their communities’ needs but long-term planning to address them is difficult when funding is year-to-year, or provided on a project-by-project basis. My goal is to help FCM ensure that federal budgets and programs recognize the importance of local governments and provide stability and support on issues that affect us all.