ESTEVAN — Rhyan Hagel, a candidate for Estevan city council, is running on a platform of budget transparency, increased communication and support for small businesses.
Although this is his first campaign for a councillor seat, Hagel is no stranger to local politics, having previously run for mayor in 2016.
Hagel emphasized the importance of restoring the community's trust in local government, which he feels has eroded over recent years.
"People started getting more depressed and disappointed in their local governments," he said. "The stress was starting to emerge from the referendum [case] there for Fourth Street, and people just started feeling like they were unheard.
"I took note of all this, and I started talking to some people, and then I decided that now would be a good time to put my name in and try to bring a connection back to the community from city hall," Hagel added.
If elected, Hagel plans to improve the city's approach to budgeting and fiscal management, focusing on accountability and community engagement.
"I would like to see more common-sense budget management, talking to the people and trying to get more input. And when you do get the input, I want it to be more respected, more looked at instead of just thrown to the side," he explained.
"These people are voting you in to manage their tax dollars. If they don't have any form of confidence in you doing this, then at the end of the day, why are we running the city like this?"
Hagel, who was born and raised in Estevan, has two bachelor's degrees — one in history and anthropology from Brandon University, and another in history and psychology from a university in Oklahoma. He has worked in the coal and energy sectors around Estevan.
Supporting small businesses is another key part of his platform. During his campaign, Hagel spoke with local business owners who felt they were unaware of city incentives.
"A business of two years would like to see more first-time business owner incentives being offered," he said. "I would like to try to make it more open for local businesses to try to start up by helping them find better incentives on making them more visible and accessible."
He believes that helping small businesses thrive is vital for the local economy.
"[I'd like] to reduce commercial taxes, try to help the small businesses because they're the backbone of our city's economy," said Hagel.
