Karen Kob​ussen

for ward 2 saskatoon City Council

About me...

As a lifelong resident of Saskatoon, with family that has lived here for 5 generations, I have a deep and profound connection to Ward 2. My parents, ​grandparents, great-grandparents and now my children and I consider our lives to be shaped by the values we learned here: cooperation, community and ​living within our means.

My mission to revitalize Ward 2 to a vibrant, thriving and safe community rests upon these three pillars:

1) Transparent Municipal Accounting. Saskatoon City Council is guided by three main documents: The Official Community Plan, the Strategic Plan and the ​Budget. In recent years, the plans, goals and vision of the City have mainly been based on large scale, long-term “mega-projects”, a wish list of a future ​state that does not have the budget to support these lofty goals. Over-reliance on federal and provincial funding, lack of basic infrastructure maintenance ​budgeting and over-hiring at City Hall all mean we are at a critical juncture in our City’s financial solvency. If elected, I will ensure to inform citizens of the ​actual state of city finances, and work to restructure the budget with identified priorities that will bring about positive change not only in the future, but in ​the here and now.

2) Safe Streets. We all deserve to feel safe in our communities. In our homes. And on our streets. Increasingly, Ward 2 residents are seeing rising crime, ​vandalism, open drug use, discarded needles and garbage everywhere. The homelessness population just seems to be increasing by the day, and (no) ​thanks to all levels of government, these people have no where to go. I know the City can do so much more than they are doing. I truly believe that we ​cannot manage what we do not measure, and while the City has available crime statistics, for example, we are NOT collecting data that we need to make ​informed decisions on placing available resources (and budget) to where they are needed and will be most effective. Build, measure, learn, iterate. We ​need to start with the smallest thing that can have an impact and grow from there. And, it is NOT a $700,000 toilet, money which could have been used to ​rent out an entire motel until next spring and housed over 100 people. (I did the math).

3) Solvent Land Use. If there is one thing that Saskatoon has an ample supply of, it is land. Vacant spaces, city-owned land, right-of-ways and underutilized ​buildings, these properties are just sitting, there, not collecting any tax revenue. As a matter of fact, Saskatoon’s footprint is about 22,000 hectares, and ​currently nearly 50% of that is not collecting tax revenue. Which leaves all taxpayers to subsidize this wasted space. Property tax is the only way a city ​generates revenue to support ALL the services it needs to offer that are not a utility - street sweeping, park maintenance and snow removal are three main ​examples. I will continue to support development of city-owned land that will generate revenue and provide a return on investment for all tax paying ​citizens of Saskatoon. Now, that’s smart growth and will help Saskatoon become the prosperous place it is meant to be!

Welcome to Karen’s campaign message, Ward 2!

It is time to make Ward 2 neighborhoods prosperous again.

It is time to make Ward 2 neighborhoods safe again.

It is time to make Ward 2 vibrant again.

I am deeply committed to Saskatoon,

to the people that call it home, and to creating incredible ​opportunities to be a prosperous and thriving place.

• I believe this election is the time for change, and I will bring fresh perspectives and ​innovative approaches to tackle Ward 2's most pressing issues around community ​safety and well being.
• I am committed to transparency, promising to ensure decisions are made openly and ​with community input.
• I am dedicated to finding effective solutions to the city's most significant problems, ​including affordable housing, infrastructure improvement, and local business support.

I gratefully acknowledge we are ​on Treaty 6 Territory and the ​Homeland of the Métis. I pay ​respect to the First Nations and ​Métis ancestors of this place ​and reaffirm a good relationship ​with one another