Every evening, we see the same story on our TV screens: political parties trading insults and scoring cheap points – behavior that wouldn't be tolerated in a kindergarten classroom. This divisive spectacle has become the norm in federal and provincial politics, where success is measured by party membership sales rather than leadership capability.

The traditional party system runs on a simple formula: potential candidates sell memberships, with fees flowing to the party. Whoever sells the most gets the nomination. These candidates then answer to an unelected private group – the Party Board, Chair, and Whip.

Is anyone looking at the hot mess in Ottawa or at the Legislature and saying to themselves that we need more of that at City Hall? 

Of course not.

But does anyone really enjoy going to the ballot box and seeing a list of 10, 12, 15 names to choose from? Without really knowing what each person is - or isn't - capable of?

Consider for a moment the best run organization you can think of… 

Maybe it's where you work right now, or the place you really want to work. Maybe it's a company you have shares in. Maybe it's the non-profit that helped your family through a difficult time. Think about your favorite restaurant or shop. Think about your mechanic. 

What did they do to earn your trust? What is it they do that makes them the best?  

Successful organizations recruit people that possess a particular set of skills that would help advance the organization.

Imagine if we built a City Council that same way.

A group of people actively recruited because of what skillset they bring. A group with a common set of goals and objectives, and a shared vision of how to get there. Not a random set of people trying to figure out where they fit and how to work together the day after the election.

The Provincial government’s new rules for municipal elections provide exactly this opportunity. The chance to build a team, a Board of Directors - a party - that is designed entirely and exclusively to bring the best set of skills possible to lead the City of Edmonton forward.

There are some groups in Edmonton that want to create traditional political parties for the next municipal election. 

I want to do it differently. I want to build a team where each member gets to work to their strengths.  A team designed to run a City. A team where the party works to support the candidates, not the other way around.

I want to use these new rules to actually get the politics out of City Hall.

Let me know what you think. And if you would like to get involved, let’s have that conversation.