Catching Up With Council – Councillor Jeff Carlson

Putting your hand up to become an elected public official is not for the faint of heart. After the election campaigning is over, the real work begins. There is much more to a City Councillor role than attending weekly committee and Council meetings. The volume of information, context and legislative requirements can be daunting. 

Preparations are already underway for the next municipal election, scheduled for October 20, 2025. We invited all current Council members to share their thoughts on the first three years of this term. In the coming weeks, we’ll share their insights and priorities as we look toward the next election. 

Next is Councillor Jeff Carlson, who was first elected to Council in 2007 and won a fifth term in 2021. 

What are you most proud of in the first three years of this Council term? 

Councillor Carlson highlights the introduction of curbside organics, updates to our City’s Municipal Housing Strategy and Transportation Master Plan, as well as the streamlining of Capital and Operating budgeting processes. He also stresses that community needs always come first.

“A lot of my focus has been to take politics out of politics. I’m proud of a lot of things we’ve done when we work together on behalf of all of Lethbridge. We have moved things to Administration in order to be much less political: We set the direction, we set the policy, but then get ourselves out of it. The best thing about municipal politics is that it is, at least on the face of it, nonpartisan. A good idea is a good idea no matter which side of the political spectrum it originates from,” Carlson says.

“We all bring our thoughts and ideas and we wrestle until we get something we can all live with. That’s my biggest pride – is that we, as a group of nine, almost always come together for the betterment of the community. I don’t discount anyone’s idea. We respect each other and know that everyone has something to offer. Everyone has put their name in the hat because they want Lethbridge to be the best it can be.”

Carlson says having composting and green bins is a major milestone, especially as “it originally caused so much consternation in the community and now everyone tells me how much they love it.” Housing remains a huge priority, and our new Housing Strategy will be “very helpful to the community in the future.”

“People keep complaining about our homeless population,” he says. “Well, what’s the way to fix it? It’s not rocket science. People need places to live.”

What do you want to see accomplished in the last year of this Council term? 

Carlson says the coming budget review, during a series of Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee meetings in November, will help set the course to promote Council’s and the community’s needs. He wants to keep strengthening the local economy through policies and business grant programs, while also keeping Council focused on governance.

“I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to do a deep dive and look at how you’re doing things and how you’re accomplishing things. But take the time to verify,” says Carlson.

“My goal for the next year is to keep on track. I think we’re on a good track, but we need to set the next Council up for success so they’ve got the tools, they’ve got the time, they’ve got all the information, and they can steward the city better. If we do our job properly over the next eight to 12 months, they’re going to be in a really good position to make some good choices.”

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of running in next year’s election? 

“One thing I’d like to pass on to any incoming Councillor is: take the damn time,” says Carlson.

“It’s a full-time job. It’s actually more than a full-time job, so be prepared to give the time, because it’s necessary. Do the damn reading. Take your damn time. Ask the damn questions. And don’t forget to focus on the future. We’re always focused on the day to day and the issue or the flavour of the day, but if you’re always putting out fires you’re never making yourself fire safe. Don’t just look at ‘what’s in it for me and my peers right now?’ You’re building a city for 50 or 100 years, hopefully. You’ve got to worry about today, but plan for tomorrow.”

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