Moose Jaw City Council candidate, Terry Coleman, is proclaiming "40 years experience of municipal governance."

Mr. Coleman was a police officer in the City of Calgary for 27 years, where he rose to the rank of Inspector. He spent another 10 years as the chief of police in Moose Jaw, leaving in 2007 to become the provincial Deputy Minister of Corrections, Public Safety, and Policing. Shortly thereafter, he was suspended for not immediately reporting to the Minister that a dangerous offender had been mistakenly released.

When the suspension was lifted, Mr. Coleman was transferred to the position of Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs, and soon left public service completely.

Municipalities are governed by a Mayor and Council, roles Mr. Coleman has never held. It is difficult to find, in this lengthy career, any record of "Municipal Governance."

What Mr. Coleman does have is a penchant for spending public money. During his 10 year tenure as Police Chief in Moose Jaw, the police budget saw an increase of 56%. In the same time period, the City revenues increased by 38.5%, prompting Council to pass a motion restricting the police budget to 26% of the City's operating budget.