Sturgeon County’s division four will have a new face on council.
As Coun. Jerry Kaup, who has held the seat for 18 years, announced this week he will not run again, newcomers Dave Kluthe and Al Homeniuk have thrown their hats into the race.
Kluthe is a newcomer but politics have been a family affair. His father Lawrence was mayor of the county from 2001 to 2004 and he also served as reeve in the 1970s.
Kluthe said his father’s time in office made him a keen political observer, but ultimately he felt he wanted to serve his community.
“I have grown up here my whole life so I think I have a handle on what everybody in the area is looking for and I just thought it was time.”
The other candidate in the race is Al Homeniuk a retired RCMP officer who lives near Alcomdale.
He said he feels residents of Sturgeon County don’t know enough about what their representatives are doing and as a councillor he would make sure they are kept informed.
“I want to be able to bring people up to date after the council meetings on exactly what happened, how the votes went, how I voted and why.”
Homeniuk said residents are telling him they just don’t have enough information about council’s plans.
“I think that is something that people need here. There are a lot of people saying I just don’t know what is going on and they want to know.”
Kluthe said with the possibility of industrial taxes flowing into the county over the next few years, he wants to make sure the money is spent wisely.
“There is going to be a lot of money coming into the county and I have heard rumours that the City of Edmonton is looking to get their hands on some of it and I want to protect our interests in the county.”
Homeniuk said he wants to bring new ideas to council. He and his family have lived in many different places as part of his 25-year career with the RCMP, a factor he believes can be an asset.
“I think I have some fresh ideas and new ideas,” he said. “We have lived in all kinds of different places and I think that experience has given me some ways to think outside of the box and I would like to bring that to council.”
After retiring, Homeniuk worked for both Weyhauser and the River Cree Casino as a security manager.
Kluthe works on the family farm and said he has always been interested in politics, but never had the time before.
He said supporters of his father would likely find him a good councillor but he intends to represent all of the residents of division four.
“I am hoping to represent everybody, not just the ones that voted for my father.”
He said friends and family encouraged him to get into the race while his father offered words of caution.
“He was the one who said, ‘Are you sure?’”
Both candidates said in the early days of the campaign they have heard a lot about the proposed high voltage transmission line. One of the proposed routings, which is currently being considered as an alternate or backup route, cuts right through division four.
Both say they would be fiscally prudent with taxpayers’ dollars and do their best to represent citizens, but Homeniuk, who once lived in St. Albert, said overall the county’s tax rates are pretty balanced.
“For what we get, I think our taxes are pretty good here.”
Homeniuk and Kluthe are the first non-incumbents to announce their candidacy for councillor. No challengers have yet come forward for the mayor’s chair.
Nomination day for candidates is next Monday. The election is Oct. 18.
