REGINA -- Sandra Masters was elected the new mayor of Regina on Monday, becoming the city's first elected female mayor.
Masters said she is humbled and honoured for the privilege of being Regina’s mayor.
“Tonight, the decision has been made together,” Masters said. “We’re going to move Regina forward.”
“My message has always been that Regina is a city full of potential, with incredible people and incredible organizations. And that is my message tonight.”
Masters secured 19,015 votes, or 46 per cent, according to results released by the City of Regina.
She couldn’t put into words what it means to her to be the first woman elected to lead the city, but said the feedback she has received helped put it into perspective.
“It doesn’t occur to my sons that a woman wouldn’t be a leader. It doesn’t occur to my daughter that this isn’t exactly where I should be at this time,” she said. “But the feedback I get from other parents is one of deep appreciation for the representation.”
Fougere finished second place with 35 per cent of the vote, receiving 14,649 total votes.
Masters thanked Fougere for his years of service working for the City of Regina.
“For 23 years, 15 on city council and eight as mayor, his dedication to public service is acknowledged and commended,” she said.
Masters is a current manager at Richardson Pioneer and served her third term as chair of the board of directors of the Regina Exhibition Association.
Taking questions from reporters, Masters defended her plans to conduct an efficiency review of the city operations, saying jobs will not be lost in the process.
“The best run companies in the world can have someone come in and do an efficiency review after 24 months since the last one, and they can find five per cent,” she said. “If we go looking for 15 and can only find five because the city is one of the best run companies in the world, then my hats off.”
“I think they’re there, and to be honest I think people are hungry for them within the city administration.”
Her election profile says some of her goals include driving new economic development, creating a vibrant downtown and improving reconciliation.
Her platform includes building a new aquatic centre in the city by 2024, creating an anti-poverty strategy within one year and to find 14 per cent in savings from increased operation efficiencies within the city.
Masters will be taking over as mayor during a time of uncertainty in the province, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she and her new council will get to work on a COVID-19 recovery plan.
“I think getting council and administration together to determine the COVID recovery plan that’s best going to position us going into 2021 and early 2022,” she said.
“We’ve managed to keep the numbers low, so I would say to the citizens of Regina: ‘please keep the numbers low.’”
Click here for full results from Regina’s civic election.
