CMHnews Interview: Joseph Mugodo, Ward Crescentwood City Councillor Candidate in Edmonton's Northwest District

【Joseph said】I want to lead a transformation away from the “old system” of privilege and excuses, toward a modern, accountable, people-focused Edmonton.

       1. As the candidate of the City council, can you share an overview of your work and highlight specific achievements that have positively impacted your community?

My background is not in politics, but in practical management and community advocacy. For over a decade, I worked as an Area Operations Manager, responsible for overseeing multi-million dollar budgets, large teams, and critical service delivery. My achievement is simple: I excelled at making systems work efficiently and ensuring every dollar delivered demonstrable value. In that role, I championed fiscal discipline, streamlining operations and reallocating resources to improve frontline service quality—skills that are desperately missing at City Hall. Within the community, I have served on various Boards of Directors, using my managerial experience to ensure non-profits remain financially sustainable and focused on Equitable Access for those they serve.

       2. How does your professional background influence your policies and approach to governance?

       My professional background is the foundation of my entire policy approach. Governing a city is in part about managing a massive, multi-billion dollar operation. My experience as an Area Operations Manager translates directly into:

       Fiscal Discipline: I know how to implement Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB), which is my signature policy. This forces every department to justify its spending from zero, eliminating waste and administrative bloat.

       Core Service Prioritization: In operations, you fix the infrastructure before buying new toys. I will apply this to the city, prioritizing core services like roads, snow clearing, and fire rescue equipment over discretionary projects.

       Accountability: I demand performance. My governance approach will be rooted in data, transparency, and relentlessly scrutinizing agencies like the Police Commission to restore Trust in City Hall.

       The other crucial component of leading within a city councillor role is advocacy and listening to the people. Something I have prioritized during most of my life, including the lead-up to the election. My team and I have ventured out to meet various leaders and community members within the not-for-profit space and other community focused organizations. I have also made it a priority to listen to and dialogue with a wide-swath of my local population, knocking on thousands of doors, talking to people on the street, at churches and other community events that we have put on in lead-up to the election. One thing that stands out is how appreciative the community is to see the presence of a candidate and to feel heard. This basic human connection has been sorely lacking from Edmonton’s leadership. I know this because it is what we have heard from the people. Many folks including staff of recovery centres and other social organizations that are doing the challenging work of easing and solving major crises faced by our people are often neglected or shrugged off by leadership. This condition must change. Elected officials are a voice of the people, they need to be involved with the people and understand what is going on outside the ivory tower of City Hall.

       3. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing your community right now, and how do you plan to address them?

       The biggest challenges facing our community—especially in Ward Nakota Isga—are the rapid degradation of core services and the feeling that City Hall is detached and wasteful.

       Challenge A: Failing Infrastructure and Safety: Our roads are crumbling, snow clearing is atrocious, and our firefighters are forced to use apparatus that are 20 years old.

       Plan: Implement ZBB immediately. I will reallocate funds from wasteful projects (like the audited $100 million bike budget) directly to fully fund essential services and establish a protected, dedicated maintenance budget.

       Challenge B: Uncontrolled Growth: The current infill and expansion policies ignore infrastructure capacity and community input.

       Plan: Demand an immediate moratorium on new infill and growth outside the Henday until a full infrastructure audit is complete and neighborhoods are granted Community Veto Power on local development.

       4. What key issues do you believe are most pressing, and how will you address them in your campaign?

       The most pressing issues are interrelated and point to a fundamental failure of leadership:

Pressing Issue	Joseph Mugodo's Solution
Fiscal Waste & High Taxes	Implement Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) and demand audits to stop waste and hold the line on tax increases.
Failing Core Services	Prioritize Reallocation of audited funds to roads, snow clearing, and fire safety (staffing and equipment).
Social Crises (Drug/Homelessness)	Treat it as a Public Health Emergency. Stop criminalizing poverty; partner directly with frontline non-profits and focus on root cause solutions (Equitable Access).
Lack of Accountability	Eliminate partisan politics and demand Transparency and scrutiny of all City agencies, restoring Trust.

       5. What is your overarching vision for the City council’s election?

       My overarching vision is to restore trust in City Hall by replacing career politics with managerial competence and fiscal discipline.

       I want to lead the change from an "Old Guard" of privilege and political excuses to a modern, responsible administration that obsessively focuses on the well-being of its citizens. The City Council needs leaders who know how to manage money and are committed to putting People Over Politics. We need to shift from top-down mandates to community-led solutions that build Stronger Communities for everyone.

       6. How do you engage with your community to understand their needs and concerns?

       Engagement requires more than just holding town halls—it requires a commitment to Advocacy.

       Proactive Outreach: I have an open-door policy and actively meet with frontline non-profits, small business owners, and community leaders who are often ignored by current council members. My campaign is built on listening to those with lived experience.

       Empowerment: My platform advocates for giving neighborhoods Community Veto Power on infill and zoning, making residents active partners in planning, not just after-the-fact complainers.

       Transparency: I will use technology to make City data on spending and service performance easily accessible to all residents, ensuring our decisions are always data-driven and publicly accountable.

       7. What message do you want to convey to voters as we approach the election?

       My message is one of urgency and hope: The status quo is failing you, but we have the power to change it.

       Do not accept political excuses for why our roads are a mess or why our taxes keep rising while services decline. As your Area Operations Manager for City Council, I bring the professional discipline needed to stop the waste and fix the foundation of our city. This campaign is about ending the "old guard's" era of privilege and bringing heart, competence, and accountability back to City Hall.

       Put People Over Politics. Vote Joseph Mugodo.

       8. How do you plan to advocate for issues important to your community at the city level?

       I plan to advocate by using facts, fiscal leverage, and coalition-building rather than ideological rhetoric.

       First, I will use the results of the Zero-Based Budgeting audit and the infrastructure audit as undeniable proof of resource failure, forcing the City and Administration to redirect funds to our community's needs. Second, I will focus on building strong coalitions with other Council members who share a commitment to fiscal discipline and core services, ensuring my Ward's issues are prioritized in the budget. Finally, I will champion the "Fix Our Own House First" principle, ensuring that when the Province intervenes, we have done our part to eliminate our own administrative and fiscal shortcomings.

       9. What is your vision for Edmonton moving forward, and how do you plan to leverage your unique position to advocate for Edmonton’s issues?

       My vision for Edmonton is a city defined by sustainable growth, fiscal health, and compassionate resilience.

       Vision: An Edmonton where core services are reliable, where businesses are competitive (by addressing the non-residential tax disparity), and where the vulnerable are supported through a public health approach, making our city safer and more economically vibrant.

       Leveraging My Position: I will leverage my unique position as a former Area Operations Manager and immigrant to champion two things: Managerial Competence (implementing ZBB and demanding data) and Equitable Access (ensuring all communities, including newcomers, receive fair support and service). I will advocate for Edmonton by demanding the Province uphold its funding mandates instead of forcing the City to misuse municipal tax dollars.

       10. What advice would you give to young people who aspire to become leaders in their communities or in politics?

       My advice is simple: Listen more than you speak, and serve before you lead.

       Leadership is not about the title; it's about solving problems for your community. Get comfortable with multi-million dollar budgets, learn fiscal discipline, and understand how to manage complex operations. Don't wait for permission or for a political party to tell you who you are. Start by working with your local non-profits, understand the lived experience of those on the margins, and bring that deep, practical knowledge and compassion into every decision you make. Be disciplined, be honest, and put people over politics every single time.

       11. How do you plan to engage with and support the Chinese community in Edmonton?

       The Chinese community is vital to Edmonton's economic and cultural fabric. As someone who has worked and lived in China for a number of  years in cities like Shaoguan, Zhuhai and Taiyuan and who speaks Mandarin,my engagement will focus on genuine support and removing systemic barriers:

       Economic Vitality: I will actively work to reduce administrative red tape and unnecessary fees that hinder the growth of Chinese-owned small and medium businesses, aligning with our economic pillar of removing barriers to business growth.

       Equitable Access: I will ensure City Hall materials, services, and engagement opportunities are culturally appropriate and accessible, ensuring every resident, regardless of language, can participate in the democratic process.

       Cultural Preservation: I will champion the protection and celebration of cultural landmarks and community spaces that are essential to the heritage and identity of the Chinese community, fostering Stronger Communities throughout Edmonton.