Winnipeg Election 2022

Craig Stahlke - Pembina Trails - 1

What got you into politics?

I don’t actually consider myself as having gotten into politics, as such.  I served as Secretary-Treasurer for Pembina Trails and the legacy Fort Garry School Division for over 43 years.  My entire professional career was dedicated to the school division. For a sophisticated society to function well into the future, the future generations need to have and deserve to have a high quality of education.  A high quality of education will allow individual students to maximize their potential and realize the desired quality of life which education can help to provide.  The education system functions properly when the teachers, support staff, technical staffs, administrative staff, management and governance (school trustees) work together seriously, diligently and creatively to provide to the students the educational programming and experiences that they need and keep the support system and financial and business administration systems operating properly.  I have been involved with the Board if Trustees in that work during the entire course of my career.

 

 

What experience will you bring to compliment your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee)?

This question is partially addressed in my answer to question no. 1.  As a Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCMA) I have dedicated my career to this school division for decades.  I have worked with many Boards of Trustees since 1976, attended hundreds of Board meetings and thousands of committee meetings and have the training and experience which would add value to the work of the Board. Over the years I have participated in the preparation of all of the annual budgets, financial reporting, business administration, freedom of information and protection of privacy, collective bargaining, school reorganization and planning, transportation and more.  Trustees, acting as a Board, make serious decisions regarding resource allocation (budget development), communicate with the residents and schools, act as responsible stewards of the Division’s finances, participate in strategic and action planning and make sensible decisions on a wide variety of issues.

What are some issues that you would like to stand for in your role as (Mayor / Councillor / School Trustee), and why are these issues important to you?

Manitoba school divisions are going through an evolutionary phase where the school divisions are no longer authorized to raise property taxes to fund educational needs.  The Province controls how much school tax is raised on property.  Pembina Trails can no longer address new initiatives or implement new programming simply by increasing school taxes on its own authority.   The Pembina Trails Board of Trustees will now have to concentrate more diligently on cost control and carefully allocate the resources, which it has been given, so that all students receive the highest possible quality of education which address their individual needs, while also adequately funding Pembina Trails’ educational support, transportation, buildings maintenance, information technology, finance, business administration and management components.  A successful school division will need disciplined, committed and creative school trustees.

Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

Those school trustees who will be elected in Pembina Trails will come from diverse backgrounds and varying political points of view.  As only three incumbent trustees are seeking reelection, the new Board will be less aware of the history of issues and less experienced in working as an elected school board in Pembina Trails.  It is essential that the new Board of Trustees develop a disciplined, collaborative and respectful working relationship quickly as the issues facing the Board will not slow down.  For example, one major annual responsibility will start within a couple of months after the election, namely, the development of the 2023/24 Division budget.

I believe that I can make a positive contribution as an elected trustee and ask for your vote on October 26th.