Big city? Small town? Red deer wants to be both.

Red Deer wants to be included in the province’s big city charter for issues like low-income transit subsidies, and smaller land allocations for high schools. Red Deer claims it is a small town and does not need a ward system, or when it comes to having 5 high schools along 30 ave.

You cannot have it both ways.

Are we a small town who needs to keep the current municipal voting system where we have 8 out of 9 elected officials in the southeast quadrant, along with all the high schools, current and future? Are we a small town that says it is okay to have 50,000 current and future residents on one side of the river with no high schools, 1 recreation centre, while the other side of the river can have 6 high schools, 6 indoor ice rinks, and 3 aquatic venues? We are so small that this is acceptable? We are so small that we need to centralize everything downtown, like new ice rinks, new aquatic centre and concert hall.

Then the big city charter means more money and power for big cities. So now we want to be a big city. We will get more money for transit, more authority on planning and municipal land allocation and requirements.

We do not want to give the third of our city’s population that live north of the river proportional representation because they might want a new swimming pool, indoor ice rink or swimming pool, or even a high school, because we are still a small city.

But if in this case it means we will get more money and power, then we are a big city.

Mayor and city councillors, we cannot have our cake and eat it too, didn’t you mothers ever tell you that? Make up your minds and make decision.

You want to be a big city? Fine then act like a big city. Give everyone an equal voice. If that means a ward system municipally then so be it.

Act like a big city and then you might get invited to the big city table, act like small town and you will be treated like small town. It is up to you, you cannot have it both ways.