Laura Stephan is in the running for Red Deer County council as a representative of Division 6.
“I am running for council because I love Red Deer County and I am committed to the residents of the County,” she said.
The community volunteer and stay-at-home mother is looking to bring a diverse array of skills to Division 6.
“I have work experience and education in business, law and accounting, which I think is beneficial,” she said. “I am fiscally conservative, so understanding accounting and the business side of things is important.”
Stephan is looking to take her education and experience and apply that to the issues facing Red Deer County.
“I am very passionate about the things I do,” she said. “I will do my homework and I will research issues and topics thoroughly before I make any decisions on council.”
Stephan also wants to ensure voters that her interests are solely on the issues facing the region.
“I am committed to the residents of the County. I will not run for any other forms of government while serving as a County councillor,” she said.
Stephan hopes to bring a different perspective to council to help tackle one of the largest issues facing the municipality.
“One of the biggest concerns within the County is safety and security,” she said. “With the downturn in the economy, there has been a lot more break and enters and thefts. The residents are very concerned about that. Safety and security are the biggest issues for sure and there are things we can look at.
“Right now, our RCMP are out of Blackfalds so we could possibly look into a more centralized location for them such as Gasoline Alley. This can help reduce times to get to places.”
She added bringing consistent stands to neighbourhood watches and improving on what has been already working could help alleviate crime issues within the communities in Red Deer County.
Stephan emphasized her fiscal policy comes from how she views the world.
“I am definitely conservative,” she said. “I always have been conservative. It is who I am and it is how I have always voted. It is how I see the world. I know what I am going to do and how I want to be as a County councillor. I want to work hard. I want to listen to the citizens and represent the citizens.”
Stephan feels she can represent a new perspective on council.
“I can bring a different perspective than what is there,” she said. “I am in a different stage of life than many of the people on council. I think that brings a different perspective. I have passion and I feel I have some new ideas and ways of doing things.”
She noted she will work to ensure that taxpayer dollars are equally distributed throughout the entire County.
“The County is really big,” she said. “You have taxpayers everywhere, so you can’t just focus and develop in one area. That doesn’t benefit the entire County. You have to balance where you are developing and where you are putting money so that it is benefiting everyone. The money is coming from everywhere.”
