The number one question that I have been asked by every reporter so far, and by many others as well is why? Why have I decided to run now, and why do I want to become involved in the political life? On a personal level, the answer is easy, Shayleen is in school full time, the boys are older and it is good timing for my family for me to finally give this a try. My love of politics and being involved goes way back to my school days when I was "that kid" that loved being on student council and was even the class president our graduating year. When the boys were younger, I was the president of parent council at their school. I have always wanted to be more involved in the decisions that were being made that would impact my life and the life of my family. And now it is continuing on a slightly different path on a bigger scale.
The municipality has been live streaming not just council meetings, but also the audit and budget committee meetings, the rural development meetings, and even the administration meetings over the course of the last 18 months or more. And if you miss the meetings, you can watch them from the files online on the municipal website. This has been a huge part of my life, as I have been able to stay up to date on all the issues that affect our community. I have written extensively about the decisions that have brought us to our current state in Fort McMurray, and in the last 18 months I have found council members to be very open to all my questions. They have helped me to understand why some decisions are made the way they are, but they have also been open to discussing what I hear from talking to so many people on a daily basis. I am thinking some of the councillors might be happy if I got elected, as it would mean I would not be asking them extra questions every week.
My hope during the campaign leading up to the March 30th Election Day is that I meet every single person that I can possibly meet in Fort McMurray to hear their concerns and also their wants for our community in the coming years. I will be posting some blogs about the issues that are being talked about, and please feel free to email any questions or ideas to vernamurphyforcouncil@gmail.com.
Campaigns are a lot of work, but they can also be fun and a great way to meet new friends and neighbours. So if you want to get involved by volunteering, or donating we would love to have you as part of Team Murphy! You again can use the email above, or call me at (780)748-7714 or (780)838-1782. Every minute you can spare, or every dollar you can donate will go a long way towards a successful campaign and hopefully winning the seat on the 30th. I am in the process of finalizing decisions about the little details that have to be done before things can be ordered.
I have already been overwhelmed by all the best wishes, they have made me feel like I made the right decision to run! Thanks so much, I truly believe I have the most wonderful support system in my life.
Best of luck to you :)
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