Stephen Mandel

From Conservapedia

Stephen Mandel (born July 18, 1945) is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta. He has contributed notably to the conservative agenda by promoting business and small government in a region of Canada previously plagued by the socialist agenda.

He received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from University of Windsor. He moved to Edmonton in 1972 from Windsor, Ontario. Following his arrival in the city, Mandel pursued a career in real-estate management, culminating in him becoming one of the most notably philanthropic landlords within Northern Alberta. Mandel's great success in his philanthropic endeavours are largely responsible for his belief that the religious charities and churches are far more effective providers of social services and guidance than inefficient, liberal-driven governement agencies.

He was first elected to the Edmonton City Council in 2001 as a Councillor for Ward 1. In 2004, he won an upset victory by defeating Edmonton's three-term mayor, Bill Smith.

Mandel has pursued a policy of neoconservative local governance, aiming to dramatically reduce the influence of the public sector on Edmonton's economy and citizens. One example of this is the contracting out of services such as infrastructure maintenance and garbage collection. Mandel's long term objective is to use the financial savings generated from a diminished public sector to promote signature projects such as the LRT South extension, the replacement for the ageing Rexall Place arena, and the new art gallery. Although many of these are at an early stage, each one has already contributed significantly to Edmonton's economy.

Mandel is active with promoting the city's thriving arts and festival scene. He is also an active volunteer with the city's local Heart and Stroke Foundation and with several local Jewish organizations.

Mandel is married to Lynn Mandel. They have two children, Rachel and Adam.

Current Issues

Mandel avoided significant controversy during his first two years in office. However, in 2006–2007 the city administration has been criticized by some members of the local press on issues relating to the privatisation of infrastructure maintenance.^[1]^[2]