“The right choice for your voice,” was the slogan that successful Cochrane Lake (Div. 9) candidate-elect Crystal Kissel blazed the campaign trail with for the last four weeks.
“I was a complete unknown going into this and by the end of the four weeks I had people calling me by name – whether I was shopping or at their door,” said the 20-year Div. 9 resident who garnered 578 votes.
Coun. Bruce Kendall finished with 258 votes. Former Rocky View Schools Ward 5 trustee Colleen Munro came in with 329.
Kendall said he knew early on – due to the high voter turnout that resulted in the Weedon Hall voting station twice running out of ballots – that he would be unsuccessful.
“Crowds don’t show up unless there’s about to be a change,” he said.
Kissel knocked on 1,023 doors and put 2,600 km on her vehicle to do so, as she campaigned in the county constituency that is the most sparsely-populated, yet has the largest land mass out of all nine.
“The things I heard consistently are that people want to see council work together better and the front end (development and permit applications) processes streamlined to improved efficiencies,” she said, adding that ensuring these wishes from her constituency are at the top of her priorities list.
When it comes to the budget, Kissel is in favour of looking to a financial review and audit committee to ensure fiscal accountability and that dollars are being spent wisely. She would also like to see a voters list brought in before the next election.
The contentious issue of gravel will continue, with the approval of three future pits (totaling four) along Big Hill Springs Road in her division – a decision she was less than pleased with prior to the implementation of an aggregate resource policy (ARP).
Kendall said he knew gravel was a determining election factor.
While frustrated that the county was unable to agree with residents to implement the ARP prior to paving the way for the three other pits, he feels the adopted amendments will put careful resident considerations in place as the approvals move forward.
Kendall is hopeful his successor will push forward the new county land-use bylaw and that the new council will provide support to the Ag Society – which he believes will be better off in the long-term to move to a new location, where the society won’t be dependant on the Town of Cochrane’s water/wastewater or impacted by regional traffic pressures.
Kissel is anxious to get to know her co-workers and to move forward in a positive, respectful manner.
