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Vol. 13, No. 53, Wednesday October 31, 2018 www.LamontLeader.com
New Lamont County Reeve David Diduck replaces Wayne Woldanski; Roy Anaka Deputy Reeve replacing Daniel Warawa JOHN MATHER For the first time in more than a decade Lamont County has a new reeve and deputy reeve. First term councilor David Diduck was acclaimed Reeve in a vote among his council colleagues Oct. 23, while Division 4 Councillor Roy Anaka was acclaimed Deputy Reeve. Diduck represents Division 3, the St. Michael area, while Anaka takes in the area around Andrew. “I’d like to thank former Reeve Wayne Woldanski for his service to the County,” said Diduck. “He was the Reeve for 14 years.” Woldanski had been nominated for the position for another term, but declined to run again. Deputy Reeve Daniel Warawa had held the post for the previous 13 years before stepping aside to let someone else take over. Diduck said some of the priorities he’ll be tackling as reeve will be the hiring of a new Chief Administrative Officer, setting a strategic plan for the administration to follow in 2019, and work on establishing an 13 year Deputy Reeve order to repair Daniel Warawa drainage and road issues in the County. “We’re in current negotiation with an individual (for CAO),” he added. “My first year after being elected
New Lamont County Reeve David Diduck
New Lamont County Deputy Reeve Roy Anaka
was just to learn the ropes,” he said. “Then when the opportunity presented itself to be nominated for the position, I thought about. I felt with my finance and accounting background and previous leadership roles, I’d be a good fit.” He added he’d have to have a conversation with the former Reeve to see whether he will assume he County’s chair on the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association. “I’m not sure of that yet,” he said. “None of the other boards we serve on change.” In County, only the Reeve and Deputy Reeve are reviewed annually. The legal team and auditors were also determined when the Reeve’s election took place. All other council committees are in place for the full four-year term of council. “I think what we have to do as a council moving ahead is develop a strategic plan for 2019,” he said. “That will give administration a guideline
going forward.” He added they would probably look at two to three years moving forward with the plan. “It’s nice to have a plan that looks forward two or three years.” He added he’d like to see establishing a drainage plan that would study particular areas and develop a priority for improvements, rather than just reacting to a particular situation. He further stated he’d like to see a similar priority-based planning package developed for the county roads. “Range Road 192 is a sore spot for council,” he stated. “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to do anything for that road this year but it will be a priority for 2019. It must be finished properly so residents in that area have a good road they can drive on.” For his part, former Reeve Wayne Woldanski, said stepping down would give him more time to spend with his family and farm.
“I’d been the Reeve for 14 years, as long as I‘ve been on council, so it was time for someone new to take over,” said Woldanski. He didn’t state whether he would run for another term as the Division 2 councillor. Reflecting on his time, he said the highlight of his tenure was the creation of Lamont County getting involved with Alberta Industrial Heartland Association. “I guess going back several years and enlarging our Heartland area,” he said. “That will provide the future tax base for the County.” “Right now, the way things are we can’t survive on the revenue from just our residential and agricultural tax base. The taxes would be so high no one could afford it. We need the tax base from that industrial land.” He said the tax base now coming from industrial certainly helped the County but if future projects take off the tax base will sustain the County for some time to come. He said it wasn’t difficult separating the Reeve jobs from being councillor for Division 2. 14 year Reeve “In the end Wayne Woldanski all decisions are council decisions and the Reeve still only has one vote,” he said. “ Yo u do have a lot more meetings to go to, but in the end it’s only one vote.”