Cate Slater thinks council should be more open

Cate Slater is running for city council Position 4 in Electric City, wanting to give back to the community she's come to call home.

Slater said she'd talk with friends, family, and coworkers about what was going on in the city, and when major changes began happening with Western Avenue, a street she drives daily, she decided to get involved.

"I have to do something, otherwise nothing's going to change," she said.

Slater said she agrees with the idea of projects the city is working on, but not the details.

"I think the park is a great idea, I think sidewalks are fantastic for Electric City, but if I was in council I would have done things differently," she said.

She's running against Carol Nordine, who is seeking to keep the seat to which she was appointed after a council member moved away.

Originally from Wisconscin, Slater moved to Electric City in 2010 with her husband Dustin.

"We don't see ourselves living anywhere else. I don't miss Wisconsin, I've done the 40 below. The winters here are amazing; I love 'em."

The couple has two daughters, ages 7 and 2.

"That's another big thing I want to join the council for," Slater said. "This is our forever home now; I want to be able to help as much as I can and have a good childhood for them."

One thing Slater would like to see is more engagement between the council and residents at the council meetings.

"I think the biggest challenge right now is gaining the confidence and trust back from the residents. Right now, from what I hear and see on social media, everybody is pretty upset. They're not very happy. I know right now if you go to a council meeting, you have three minutes to talk, the council never really talks back to you, they just kinda sit there, let you do your thing, and then they move on. ... I'd like to be able to talk with them, get some input, answer questions, and not just have deaf ears. ... If you go to the council meetings, there are really no more than 10-15 people there, so I don't think it would be a big deal to have an open conversation with residents."

Slater would also like to work on the beautification of Electric City.

"It's not ugly by any means," she said. "It's beautiful. But when you're driving down certain streets, and even main street, you see buildings that are kind of dilapidated; there's nothing really happening with them."

Slater said she'd like to see new shops open up in the community, as well, possibly even a gas station, which she feels tourists at Sunbanks and Coulee Playland would appreciate as they head out of town, south on SR-155.

Although she has not served on a council before, Slater noted reasons she would make a good council member.

"I'm very open, I'm very easy to talk to," she said. "I also work IT for the credit union, so I'm constantly helping people all day, getting phone calls, solving problems. I'm always networking with companies and clients."

"Being a mother, you have to multitask with that and diffuse a lot of those situations," she continued. "Being a mom is one of the hardest things I've had to do in my entire life."

"I just want to try to be fresh and actually bring something back and give something back to the community," she said. "I love it here, and I want to help as much as I can."