Havixbeck throws hat into ring in mayoral race

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This article was published 14/05/2014 (4457 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Charleswood-Tuxedo Coun. Paula Havixbeck is running for mayor.

The one-term councillor, first elected in 2010, said she does not plan to resign her council seat and will fulfill her functions as as a councillor while she campaigns. But she cannot run for council while she is running for mayor.

She said if she is elected, she will eliminate council’s executive policy committee, claiming council currently has a two-tier system when it comes to actual decision-making power.

“No other city has the structure we have, where the mayor picks who he wants on EPC and the bulk of decisions are made behind closed doors,” she said.

She also pledged to make unspecified changes to city hall that would prevent future issues on the scale of the fire-paramedic station construction scandal and the police headquarters cost overruns.

“My first order of business is to clean this mess up. We’ve seen mismanagement and incompetence and that’s been documented in reports. First we’re going to dig ourselves out of that,” she said.

Havixbeck registered her campaign at 4 p.m. and plans to hold a Thursday press conference about policy.

Registering to run for mayor allows candidates to raise and spend money. It does not commit them to actually run or ensure a place on the ballot on Oct. 22. Candidates must also file nomination papers in September.

Havixbeck would be the sixth person to register for mayor — and third high-profile candidate. Former St. Vital councillor Gord Steeves and fellow lawyer Brian Bowman have also registered, along with lesser-known candidates Gordon Warren, Michael Vogiatzakis and Michel Fillion.

Three other high-profile potential candidates — Judy Wasylycia-Leis, Sam Katz and Scott Fielding — have yet to register their campaigns.