Former Tory MLA caught in prostitution sting runs for council in Fort McMurray
A former MLA who resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus after he was arrested in a prostitution sting is running for a council seat in Fort McMurray.
Mike Allen was arrested in a prostitution sting in Minnesota in 2013. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour offence and paid a $500 fine and court costs. He was then re-admitted to caucus a year later.
- MLA Mike Allen pleads guilty to misdemeanour charge
Allen, 55, is running to represent Ward 1 (Fort McMurray) on the council of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
He said he has taken responsibility for his actions and believes voters have placed the scandal behind them.
"Up until the last couple of weeks, I had no intention of seeking any political office again," Allen said. "But I was certainly receiving encouragement from friends and even strangers on the street."
Allen said he wants to focus on issues like cutting municipal red tape, especially when it comes to the wildfire rebuild.
Downtown redevelopment a priority
As a business owner, Allen said he is disappointed portions of Fort McMurray's downtown are defined by parking lots. He said he wants to make downtown redevelopment a priority for his campaign.
"We need an environment that is positive and instill some economic development into the community," Allen said.
Allen served two terms as a Wood Buffalo municipal councillor starting in 2007 before making the move to provincial politics.
He lost his seat along with many other Tories after the NDP swept to power and the Wildrose Party took official opposition status after the 2015 election.
"I think this particular term is going to be a challenging one in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo," Allen said. "Both because of the economy and as a result of the wildfire last year. I think I still have some value to add to the table."
Municipal election day is Oct. 16. Here's the full list of candidates running for mayor, Wood Buffalo council and for school board trustees:
Mayor
- Allan Grandison
- Anthony (Tony) Needham
- Don Scott
- Allan Glenn Vinni
Councillor (Ward 1)
- Mike Allen
- Krista Balsom
- Lance Bussieres
- Adem Campbell
- M. Shafiq Dogar
- Hukun Hurur
- Arianna Johnson
- Keith McGrath
- J. Paul McLeod
- Phil Meagher
- Verna Murphy
- Jeff Peddle
- Ali Syed
Councillor (Ward 2)
- David Blair
- Julia Cardinal
- Scott Clayton Flett
- John Bruce Inglis
- Dan Mercredi
- Claris Voyageur
Councillor (Ward 3)
- Sheila Lalonde,
- Brad Lucier
Councillor (Ward 4)
- Jane Stroud
- Kevin Tremblay
Fort McMurray Catholic School District Board of Trustees
- Kirk Behrisch
- Paula Janine Galenzoski
- Matthew Harrison
- Anthony Hoffman
- Cathie Langmead
- Keith McGrath
- Christine Hernani Tran
- Robert Yaro
Fort McMurray Public School District Board of Trustees
- Angela Adams
- M. Shafiq Dogar
- Stephen Drover
- Jonathan Lambert,
- Solange Maher
- Linda Mywaart
- Tim O'Hara
- Dan Rizzuto
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