‘I know I can do better’: candidate

Retired Whitehorse businessman Al Fedoriak has entered the race to serve as the capital’s mayor for the next three years.

Retired Whitehorse businessman Al Fedoriak has entered the race to serve as the capital’s mayor for the next three years.

With just two days left before nominations close, the longtime Whitehorse resident and avid Rotarian is so far the sole challenger to incumbent Mayor Bev Buckway, who is seeking her second term.

“I am prepared to work full-time,” the Porter Creek resident of 33 years said in an interview Monday afternoon, minutes after filing his nomination papers at city hall.

“I am not leaving a job, and I am certainly not doing it for the money.

“I feel that if I am to be critical of the current government, I should give some alternative. And I think I can do a better job. I know I can do better.”

Fedoriak said he is concerned with what he sees as disregard for fiscal responsibility and a lack of leadership from the elected council.

His first taste of the Yukon came in Watson Lake in 1953 while working for Cassier Asbestos Corp. in northwestern, B.C. He eventually ended up working for United Keno Hill Mines in 1959.

From 1959 to 1965, Fedoriak served with the Canadian Armed Forces before joining the Edmonton City Police Department.

He married his wife, Louise, in 1961. And in 1974, the couple moved to the Yukon after Al was offered a job as a field inspector with the Yukon government.

Fedoriak worked for several years managing the transportation division for the Yukon’s Department of Education. He moved into the private sector in 1985 as general manager for Diversified Transportation Ltd., a large school bus company.

Retired for the past two years now, the father of four and grandfather of seven believes his experience in management has given him the financial prudence to oversee the city’s affairs.

“What is happening is that there seems to be no regard for fiscal responsibility,” said Fedoriak, who’s taking his first run at public office.

“My record, wherever I have worked, and whatever I have done, my strength has been fiscal management.

“When I took over a branch from the Department of Education, I reduced operating costs substantially without affecting the level of service.”

These days, he said, there doesn’t appear to be any incentive, either territorially or municipally, to cut costs.

To the contrary, the larger the bureaucracy, the more comfortable and secure senior management seems to be, he said.

From what he understands, the city has spent $200,000 this year alone on legal fees fighting with the people the city serves: the McLean Lake dispute, for example.

There must be a way, he insists, to avoid those costs and find some other means of resolving disputes.

The city is currently developing subdivisions with lots that are too small, and far too expensive, he believes.

Fedoriak said the city needs a new style of leadership, one driven by the elected representatives “based on the needs as they arise, to meet the wishes of the electors.”

From what he sees now, the administrative staff is guiding city hall through the direction it provides council.

“I think as mayor, I will be the one providing answers,” he said. “I will not be relying on administration to provide the answers.”

Fedoriak believes the mayor is currently overpaid (the pay raises council approved last week will see the next mayor earn $74,000 annually).

While he doesn’t know about pursuing a wage rollback if elected, he is confident a solid 20 per cent of the salary will be going back to charity.

It’s also ironic the city provides the mayor with a monthly allowance for a private vehicle while it continues its relentless struggle to promote more use of the public transit system, he pointed out.

Ditto for free parking for city staff.

Fedoriak said many of the people he has spoken to agreed the city needs change, but they were either unwilling or unable to put their name forward.

“Why I am running?” he said. “I want to see this place as attractive to people today as it was when I moved here.

“I know I can do a good job; there is no doubt in my mind.”

Upon hearing of Fedoriak’s candidacy following last night’s city council meeting, Buckway welcomed the news.

“It’s just marvelous to have competition in the municipal election,” said the lifelong Yukoner who first entered municipal politics in 2003, when she was elected as a city councillor.

“You want to have competition; you want to have a choice for the public because it helps to encourage a greater (voter) turnout.

“That is good news, and I’m pleased to hear it.”

Buckway noted that at a recent municipal conference in Newfoundland, she learned that in the provinces’ last round of community elections, 80 communities failed to fill full slates of candidates, and 15 didn’t have anyone willing to run at all.

“So you know when we get a healthy turnout of people willing to come forward and offer their services, that’s great.”

Coun. Jan Stick is not seeking re-election, but all the other councillors are.

The other candidates for council who have filed their nomination papers are Skeeter Miller-Wright, Graham Lang, Betty Irwin, Ron Swizdaryk and Ranj Pillai.

The deadline for nominations is Thursday.