December 2025 Mayor's Column

I want to begin this December column with a sincere Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our Lethbridge residents and column readers!

Family and friends always help to spark the magic of the holiday season and I hope you and your loved ones can share in this joy. I know I’m looking forward to celebrating this special time of year with my family and friends.

Thank you to our community for continuing to be a source of optimism. I’m always so proud of how we show up for each other, especially at this time of year.

Last week, our Economic & Finance Standing Policy Committee heard the results from three recent surveys aimed at gathering feedback from residents and businesses in Lethbridge. These included the annual online business survey conducted by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and the City’s 2025 Business and Community Satisfaction Surveys. The results are incredibly valuable.

Results show a high level of satisfaction with Lethbridge as a place to own/operate a business with 86 per cent reporting they are somewhat or very satisfied. A positive 79 per cent of respondents are optimistic about the health of their business.

The vast majority (90 per cent) rate the quality of life in Lethbridge as good or very good. This is consistent with the last survey conducted in 2022. Lethbridge saw 75 per cent of respondents somewhat or very satisfied with City services, which ranks above the average 65 per cent rating for Alberta municipalities.

This is data Council can use as we move forward with this term.

On that note, Lethbridge City Council’s committee meeting and governance structure could be changing when 2026 begins.

We have proposed to dissolve the Standing Policy Committee (SPC) Governance Model. Community Issues Committee (CIC) could replace the SPCs, with the primary intent designed to provide focused oversight, policy review and recommendations, along with further transparency and more public participation. 

The proposed changes will require approval of amendments to the Procedure Bylaw. This item is anticipated to return at the January 20, 2026, City Council meeting.

Even though all members of Council could attend and participate in discussion at the SPCs, we felt that the restricted-voting structure limited full Council involvement in shaping policy and responding to community priorities. The CIC would allow all members of Council to participate fully in discussions, as well as engage directly with Administration and review matters of community importance in a transparent and collaborative setting.

This, of course, will be the final monthly column installment of 2025 – a year which has certainly had plenty of items on the go throughout.

Earlier this week, I had the wonderful opportunity sit down for a series of year-end interviews individually with each of our local media outlets. I want to thank each of them for asking questions on the challenges we are facing as a community, but also for the chance to reflect and highlight all the good news stories and positivity happening in Lethbridge.

They asked about Whoop-Up Drive, the Water Treatment Plant, crime statistics going down, Excite Lethbridge and economic challenges, among other topics, as well as what the future may hold for our great city.

As we start to wind down and look ahead to 2026, here is a quick refresher list of some of the good news pieces from 2025:

• Crime decreases significantly
• New funding flows into securing Lethbridge’s water future
• Council advances economic incentive program
• Commemorative crosswalk installation to honour Veterans
• Excitement building for Canada Day 2025

I plan to recap all of these, as well as information on many other topics, at the next Mayor’s State of the City (SOC) address – which will be hosted by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce on January 22, 2026.

In addition to the SOC, I want to remind our residents that we have many other ways for community members to stay informed. They include:

• This Mayor’s monthly column for the City website and the Lethbridge Herald that highlights the great things happening in our community
• Our City of Lethbridge website, which includes the news subscription and closures pages
• City Council and Committee meetings, which are open to the public. Agendas are published here a week ahead of each meeting
• All Council news at https://www.lethbridge.ca/news/categories/council/
• Recaps of each Council meeting with Council Highlights
• Our City of Lethbridge engagement website at GetinvolvedLethbridge.ca, which seeks feedback and has information about coming projects
• 311, via call or chat, to have your questions answered

And to close out this month and this year, I’d like to take another opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and healthy new year. As we head into 2026, we will continue advocacy efforts and continue working towards making Lethbridge the best city it can be.

And, as always, please be safe and kind to one another.