Two Airdrie students, one in middle school, the other in high school, will soon have the chance to prove that they can out-mayor Mayor Peter Brown of Airdrie.  

The city has begun accepting applications for the annual Mayor for a Day challenge.  Applications can be submitted online on the City of Airdrie website before the deadline of February 15th, 2019.

Social Planner with the City of Airdrie Pauline Clark explains what the challenge is all about.

"We've been doing this since 2012.  We look out to our youth community and ask them, 'do they have any great ideas around how our city can be improved.'  So this can be any new initiative or changes to an existing program or policy.  Really, imagination is the limit, keeping in mind that these young people between grades 5 and 12 have input and a voice in how their community could be better."

Clark says since the Mayor for a Day challenge started, they've received many amazing, creative and unique ideas for the city.  She cites an idea that Maddox Nelles, last year's middle school Mayor for a Day, came up with.

"Last year, our middle school winner had an idea about how we could improve the drainage systems, in particular in the Ravenswood area.  He noticed close to playground areas, a lot of the drainages were getting plugged with mulch and his idea was maybe to create a safer space and replace it with rocks." 

Clark says part of the winner's day as Mayor is to get them connected with specific departments that are to be involved in their idea to have conversations to see if it can be implemented.  Not all ideas are implemented by the city but connections are made with the departments to see what can be accomplished.

The ideas are judged on a scale of one through ten on four criteria.  The originality of the idea, its marketability, and cost, the ability of the City of Airdrie to implement the idea, and the idea's overall benefit to the community of Airdrie.  

Clark explains that once the application deadline is reached, a panel consisting of members of the Airdrie Board of Youth Affairs, and city administration staff will go through them and make a short list.  The final decision is made by Board of Youth members and city council.  Clark says, "Once the top two are chosen, we announce the winners at a council meeting and we determine their dates beyond that."

Each winner will receive an iPad mini and be declared Mayor for a Day.

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