When Jeff Genung began his first term as Mayor of Cochrane, his goal was simple but ambitious: to ensure Cochrane remains a place that feels like home. He wanted it to be a town where his parents could live and age gracefully, while also being a community where his children would want to plant their roots.
“Cochrane has been very good to me,” Genung said. “I have loved growing up here. My wife and I met and raised a family here. We have a business here. We're invested in Cochrane.”
Since taking office, Genung has navigated an unprecedented period of growth, striving to preserve the town’s identity amid rising population pressures.
“Cochrane has the opportunity to manage growth or have growth manage us,” he explained. “We’ve accomplished so much together, but there is still so much to do.”
Now, Genung is running for a third term in the upcoming 2025 municipal elections.
“I’m ready to continue working on managing the growth pressures approved over a decade ago and maintain focus on what makes Cochrane such a great community,” he said.
Much of the current growth, he notes, was inherited from previous planning approvals.
“All of the growth that we are experiencing now was already pre-approved,” he stated. “Sunset Ridge’s final phases, Heritage Hills, Heartland, Fireside, River Song, and South Bow— all those neighbourhoods have been given land use. I quickly realized that we can't take land use back once it's given, so you can't change that.”
During his two terms, Genung has overseen several significant initiatives. One of his early campaign goals in 2017 was to strengthen relationships with the provincial government, a task he acknowledges was easier said than done.
“You don’t just call up the Minister of Transportation and say, ‘Hey, we need another highway.’ They need to understand who you are, what your community is about, and how we can work together,” he said.
A major milestone from that work was the Highway 1A/22 interchange project.
“That interchange had been on the provincial books and taken off a couple of times,” he explained. “There was a lot of advocacy work done through administration and my office to add $20 million of infrastructure to that project, taking Highway 22 further north all the way to the Sunset intersection.”
Another achievement Genung is proud of is the Highway 1A widening project.
“We fast-forwarded that project, and it was not on the backs of taxpayers. It was a provincial project that they should have been doing, but they weren’t going to in the near future. So we took matters into our own hands,” he said.
Beyond infrastructure, Genung highlights recreational initiatives like the Horse Creek Sports Park, and a proposed waste-to-energy project aimed at alternative revenue generation.
“To longtime residents, I hear you," Genung stated. "Preserving the character and identity of our hometown has always been a priority for me. And to those who’ve recently chosen Cochrane as home, welcome. We’re one of Alberta’s fastest-growing communities for a reason: we’ve built something special here. Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunity and with the right leadership, we can make sure it strengthens our community rather than changes it."
The 2025 Municipal Elections will take place on October 20. To learn more about Jeff Genung’s platform or to get involved with his campaign, visit www.jeffgenung.com.
