Anna Kardash moved to Chestermere soon after she and her family emigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in 2005.
Having found business success, Kardash feels that the time is right for her to give back to and serve the community.
“I believe it is now time for me to give back to our community by serving as your Councillor for the City of Chestermere,” she said.
Family is very important to Kardash, who can often be found cheering on her son and husband while they perform at open mics at the Dockside Bar & Grill.
She wants to bring the values and characteristics found in a family to Chestermere City Council.
“Some of the principles that keep a family together are honesty, accountability and genuineness.
“I believe that the same should be true within the relationship between your Councillor and you,” said Kardash.
In her election platform, Kardash has highlighted the issues she has heard in her conversations with residents.
She spoke with 200 residents before making the decision to run for council.
“I wanted to have a grassroots policy- one that came from the residents, not from me,” said Kardash.
If elected, Kardash plans to work with council to fight crime in the city, lower taxes, attract new businesses, introduce new recreation opportunities for both kids and seniors in the community, and bring honesty, transparency, and accountability to council.
Of these, her priorities are to reduce crime in the city and make Chestermere a more affordable place to live.
“We need to ensure that we provide security for the vulnerable.
“Chestermere has the highest crime growth rate in violent and non-violent crimes compared to any surrounding municipality,” she said.
According to Kardash, as many as 900 residents may be victims of crime in Chestermere next year.
“We need to focus on bringing this number down and quickly,” she said.
She also feels that the new council needs to find ways to reduce the cost of living in Chestermere.
“We also need to find new ways of lowering our taxes, as we have seen them double over last 9 years.
“We cannot have a great city if Chestermere families cannot afford to live in it,” she said.
Regardless of who they vote for, Kardash encourages everyone in Chestermere get out and vote Oct. 16.
“No matter who you support it is very important that you cast your ballot, because only when we all speak up, together, can we make a difference,” she said.
She hopes to earn the community’s support and said her goal is to “reach each and every door in Chestermere for a meaningful conversation with the residents.”
For more information on Kardash’s campaign go to www.voteanna.ca.
