16 candidates vying for 11 council seats

Several more people have joined the race for Brandon city council in the October election.

Sixteen people have now signed up to vie for 11 council seats, and all wards now have at least one candidate registered.

Along with incumbent mayor Jeff Fawcett running for re-election, former councillor and Brandon East MLA Len Isleifson remains the only challenger for the city’s top job.

Other candidates include:

• Ward 1: Heather Karrouze (incumbent) and Ron Shaluk

• Ward 2: Dale Bates, Sunday Frangi and Deveryn Ross

• Ward 3: Enver Naidoo

• Ward 4: Shaun Cameron (incumbent)

• Ward 5: Greg Hildebrand (incumbent)

• Ward 6: Bruce Luebke (incumbent)

• Ward 7: Shawn Berry (incumbent)

• Ward 8: Jason Splett (incumbent) and Dhara Patel

• Ward 9: Norah Woychyshyn

• Ward 10: Tyson Tame (incumbent) and Mitesh Patel

Naidoo, Luebke, Berry, Tame and Dhara Patel are the most recent candidates to have registered.

Naidoo, who is the CEO of Westman Immigrant Services (WIS), said he’s running to make Brandon a better place for future generations.

He said the city can look at working more closely with local organizations.

“How do we think about bringing others to the table to ensure that as we develop plans or as we think about opportunities that we have?” the political rookie said on Monday.

Naidoo, who also has a background in economic development, said his time working with WIS and with different levels of government has helped him learn how he can serve the community.

“An opportunity with city council is a chance to continue that work and certainly find ways to create more impact,” he said.

Luebke, who had considered a run at the mayor’s seat before registering to run again as councillor in Ward 6, said he wants to see capital projects like a new outdoor aquatic complex followed through to completion. He said he also wants to continue improving the city’s fiscal position and better council’s transparency with the public.

“Continuing to be a strong voice at the council table, I think that’s something that’s needed as we navigate some of the challenges we have,” the two-term councillor said on Wednesday.

He said he also wants the city to come out with a survey for residents to see what’s at the top of their minds.

Berry, who is seeking his fifth term on council, said he’s running again because residents were encouraging him to do so.

“There’s always been some bumps in the roads or things like that, and I can honestly say this: I’m not right all the time, but I’m not afraid to make an argument about things either, whether I’m right or wrong,” he said about his first four terms on council.

Looking back, Berry said he feels as though he has done everything he can when fighting for specific issues.

Tame, who is wrapping up his first term, said he has learned a lot in his first four years and that he will be more effective in a second term as a large portion of his time after the 2022 election was spent getting a grasp on things and finding his voice.

“I’m very proud of the fiscally responsible approach that I took in making sometimes unpopular, really tough decisions for the residents of Brandon, and I felt I exercised courage in that,” said Tame, a realtor.

Seeing infrastructure projects completed, like the outdoor aquatic complex and southeast drainage, are other important topics for him.

“I continue to really love the role. I love serving people in general — it’s the greatest thing I get to do in my life, so I want to keep doing it,” Tame said.

The Sun was unable to reach Dhara Patel before press time on Wednesday, as the candidate was officially registered Wednesday afternoon.

The Sun also reached out to Woychyshyn, Bates and Mitesh Patel again this week, as those three candidates couldn’t be reached for a previous story.

Woychyshyn, who said she used to work with Prairie Mountain Health and now works part-time at Crow’s General Store, said she thought about running for council as early as 2014, and now is the right time.

She flagged public safety as a big issue in the downtown and around the city, and said council and city administration need to talk to businesses and residents about what they’re seeing to help fix the problem.

“I will bring a common-sense approach. I look at how policies are. I look at how policies will affect residents,” Woychyshyn said.

She said she has lived in Ward 9 since the late 1990s and feels the ward in the past has been neglected.

“We have issues here that need to be brought forward to city council,” she said.

Bates, who ran unsuccessfully in 2022, said he decided to run this year as sitting Ward 2 Coun. Kris Desjarlais is not seeking another term.

When asked about his motivation to run again, Bates said, “Why not?” and “I don’t know if I can or not until I give it a try.”

Bates said he doesn’t plan to campaign with posters or go door-to-door very much, but that he’s hoping he will be successful.

Mitesh Patel wasn’t available for an interview on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The municipal and school board elections are on Oct. 28, with candidate registration open until Sept. 22.

» alambert@brandonsun.com