Long-time Chestermere resident Tammy Gates has handed in her papers vying for a place on city council.

Gates has a 30-plus-year family history in Chestermere and continues to be involved in the community.

"I'm a hexagonal peg, won't fit in a square hole," Gates said. 

When asked how she would try to repair relationships while regaining the trust of city residents, Gates narrowed that down to being a good listener. 

"Trust has to be earned. You can't just expect it. You have to earn it, and to earn it, I have to talk to the community members and find out what they need, and then I've always sworn by the phrase, actions speak louder than words."

Since this is Gates's first political run, she is still researching her policies if elected. 

"I do know that they need to be audited and reviewed. So, until I've looked at the policies out there, I will not change a thing."

Gates explains that she is looking into the community's needs and development.

"We need more infrastructure in the city, and I want to look into that."

Gates then expresses that something needs to be done to fix the bottleneck in traffic entering Calgary from Chestermere.

"There's a lineup going into Calgary, and there's a lineup coming out of Calgary in the morning and in the evening from people commuting to Calgary for work." 

Another item that Gates wants to explore is retaining more green spaces.

"There was talk last year about rezoning the golf course. Nobody wants that in Chestermere, right? We love the golf course. We want to keep it as is. We don't want a three-story condominium complex in our backyard. That is an absolute no-way."

Lastly, Gates says that the housing crisis is on her list of things that need to be improved.

"I'm no spring chicken, and I'm living at home with my parents because I can't afford rent anywhere."

She says she would love to see more affordable housing in Chestermere. 

"I know many people rent out their basements in Chestermere because of its extra income." 

The by-election is set for June 24. 

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@strathmorenow.com