(Andrew Breker Mayoral Candidate for Humboldt, SK. 2024 /Facebook)

By Cam Lee

Humboldt mayoral candidate

Humboldt mayoral candidate looking to boost council’s role in city’s decision making

Nov 5, 2024 | 3:39 PM

A candidate for mayor in Humboldt is concerned about council’s role in the city’s direction.

Andrew Breker is involved with residential real estate rentals in Humboldt.

He told northeastNOW that in his opinion, and those of several other local contractors, the city was run more by management than by elected officials.

“I always find that is such a problem because as soon as management runs a city instead of the elected officials, the people – the voting citizens – have lost their voice,” said Breker.

In Breker’s opinion, council needs to be engaged in the decision-making process rather than essentially becoming a rubber stamp for whatever management thinks the city should do.

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Breker said any complaints to the city never seem to make it to the elected officials for them to gather information and solve the problems.

Housing is also a major issue for Breker. He said they are getting a half-dozen calls a day from hard-working individuals and families about whether there are any vacancies, and when a property becomes available there are often a dozen or more applications.

“Humboldt’s losing those good people and the revenue that comes with it.”

Breker said the city is on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation opportunity with BHP’s Jansen potash project nearby, and those workers will need a place to live. His fear is that a lack of housing in Humboldt for those workers will lead to more missed opportunities.

Breker would also like to see the city boost their manufacturing industry. He said currently, only five per cent of jobs in Humboldt are in the manufacturing sector. Humboldt is in a triangle with Englefeld and St. Brieux where there are six multi-million-dollar manufacturing companies, and the city needs to work with the companies and leveraging that knowledge to bring more manufacturing into Humboldt.

According to Breker, the city is also in dire need of recreational facilities like a second ice surface, performing theatre, and recreation centre. Breker said plans have been in the works for a decade, and there is no progress.

“I think we need some fresh eyes, some fresh ideas, someone with some energy and some passion to get in there and look through the city with a bit of a business sense and figure out the most efficient ways to build multi-purpose facilities that provide the most amenities for the least amount of money.”

Approachability and transparency are two key goals for Breker. He said there are many individuals and organizations that want to be heard by elected officials, and he believes they are not being heard right now.

Harley Bentley and Rob Muench are also running for mayor in Humboldt.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK