Liam Dougherty is running in Ward 7. (submitted photo/Liam Dougherty)

By Alison Sandstrom

Civic election

Dougherty prioritizes poverty reduction in bid for Ward 7 seat

Sep 15, 2020 | 5:34 PM

Editor’s note: As of Wednesday’s 4 p.m. deadline, Dougherty had not submitted nomination papers. He told paNOW he decided not to run for personal reasons.

A former championship figure skater is hoping to get top scores from the Prince Albert electorate.

Liam Dougherty, who’s running in Ward 7 against Dawn Kilmer, has made poverty reduction the focus of his platform. In declaring his candidacy, he’s initiated the first ward race in the November election.

Dougherty, 36, told paNOW the lack of candidates running for council was part of the reason he decided to put his name forward.

“We need a race,” he said. “Whether I win or lose, I don’t think democracy is helped if everybody is just acclaimed into office.”

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As a stay-at-home step-dad, Dougherty explained his other motivation in running is the desire to create a better city for his stepchildren. A key part of that, he explained, means confronting poverty head on.

“This administration keeps saying that we can’t do anything, that the provincial and the federal government have to step up, and I agree with that,” Dougherty said. “But meanwhile this is a city that is able to secure huge loans and the way we decide to use those loans is very important.”

“Every time we delay trying to address poverty it gets worse and that’s what we’ve seen in P.A. The difference between 1984 and 2020, it’s worse. All the statistics speak to a city in crisis when it comes to dealing with poverty.”

If elected, Dougherty said he would look to freeze the police budget at current levels and cancel the aquatic and arena complex to reallocate funding toward public housing and mental health and addiction supports. He’d even consider using city hall as an emergency winter shelter.

“We have this big-heated area, and in Canada once it gets cold, I think it’s a moral imperative to make sure people don’t have to sleep outside,” he said.

Dougherty said while his figure skating career was ultimately a very negative experience that left him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, his time on the world stage gave him a thick skin and experience in the public eye. He explained he’s able to discuss ideas without taking things personally, a skill he sees as sometimes lacking among current councillors.

“City council doesn’t function optimally,” he said. “This goes beyond personal ego issues, this is a city that I do think needs to take a good hard look at itself and decide what we want to do going forward.”

Meanwhile, as Dougherty vies with Kilmer for Ward 7, all other candidates are currently running unopposed in the wards they currently represent.

Miller runs again

Ward 1 Coun. Charlene Miller is the latest to announce she will seek relection.

“I am proud to live in Ward 1,” Miller said in a media release. “I take pride in the work I have done over the past three terms, however there is still much to be done. I will continue to work diligently for Ward 1 residents and will continue to act in the best interest of all citizens of Prince Albert”.

The municipal election is Nov. 9. The nomination deadline in Oct. 7.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom