CAMPAIGN NEWS

I ask questions in Council meetings not to challenge…..but to clarify, for accountability and to ensure we are achieving measurable results. I invite you to take a listen to the following sound clips from 5 recent Town Council meetings…….and questions I asked of administration on a variety of topics including Town fire risk; RCMP mandatory Alcohol Testing and Economic Development and Federal Funding.   Concerning the potential for vegetation fire risk in the Town of Olds, on

Thursday was an active and busy day. Began at 6:30am with final prep for my 8:30am zoom meeting as Chair of the Community Futures Central Alberta Audit and Finance Committee. Followed by writing a couple of final blogs for my web site: darrenwilson.ca I spent a little bit of time in the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce office responding to emails and preparing an update to the Small Business Awards attendee list for the October 23 Gala. Quick stop at the advance poll stat

Embarking on a strategy of growth, increasing residential development and housing stock will bring both opportunity and challenges for the Town and residents. The Municipal Development Plan states: Section 4.1.1 Growth Management Policies 1.     The Town shall monitor the growth and should update its short-term (up to 5 years) growth strategy on an annual basis  and it’s long-term (5-30 years growth strategy at least every 5 years. For the incoming Town Council, annual review

At the end of 2024, the Town had $27mln outstanding debt: and annual debt servicing was approximately $1.9 mln. The debt accounted for 65% of our allowable limit. o   Wastewater trunk main (2020) - $231k. final payment 2026 o   Olds Municipal Library (2009) - $198k. final payment 2030 o   O-NET (2018) -  $9mln. Final payment 2031 o   NW Development (2017) - $1.7mln. final payment 2038 o   Rotary athletic Park (2018) - $2.4mln. final payment 2038 o   70 Ave/Hwy 27 upgrade (201

Property Taxes and affordability are always a topic of discussion. Property taxes, particularly in times of rising house values, are one of the most regressive tax, yet they are the primary source of revenue for most municipalities. Property Assessment In 2024, the Town of Olds had $28mln in revenue, $11.1m of which came from property tax. From 2024 to 2025,  the total Town taxable assessment increased 6.7%;  my property tax assessment increased 3.7%. The Town operating bud

The decision  to replace water meters was not taken lightly by Council. This represents a significant program for the Town. Apart from...

There are 2 ‘drivers’ to property tax; the assessment pie and the tax or mill rate.  We know that from 2022-2024, residential property...

POLITICAL FORUM CLOSING COMMENTS   I TRY TO AVOID  MAKING BOLD PROMISES, PREDICTIONS OR STATEMENTS.. THE TOWN OF OLDS, LIKE MANY...

Good evening, and welcome. I thank the Olds Chamber for hosting this event, congratulate all candidates for standing for election and...

Economic development is a broad and vital focus area for our community, and it continues to be one of my top priorities. Supporting existing businesses must remain a core objective. This includes providing coaching, training, and succession planning resources for our local retail and commercial sectors. Strengthening what we already have is just as important as attracting what’s new.

Welcome to the Re-elect Darren Wilson, Olds Town Council web page! As I seek re-election for a second term on the Town Council, I see...