Morgan Nagel will be one of the younger voices looking to reach Cochrane voters during the municipal election, as he races to earn a spot as town councillor Oct. 21.
But don’t let the 23-year-old fool you, he’s dedicated to politics, to his community and to the town he loves.
“The biggest thing I have going for me is my passion and enthusiasm,” said Nagel, who graduated from Bow Valley High School. “I really want to get involved and make Cochrane a better place. And I felt the way to do that — to make a difference in society and in Canada — was to get into politics.
“I’ll promise to put Cochrane, the province and Canada first.”
Nagel, who’s in his final year of an economic degree from the University of Calgary, has been nursing an interest in politics since his high school days, eventually landing himself a spot on the board of direction for the federal conservatives.
He’s garnered himself plenty of blue-collar experience, from working on a ranch, to construction, to local restaurants. And this past summer Nagel found himself on Parliament Hill, working as an intern for then-minister Vic Toews in the department of public safety.
“The experience taught me that I love politics and that I want to make some changes,” he said, reflected on his time in Ottawa. “The democratic process is not just about the elected officials — they can only steer the ship. It’s the government employees and the community that need to rally together for a cause.”
The council candidate, who’s middle name is Justice, said he’s rallying to keep Cochrane a small, family town. He said he’s concerned that Cochrane is becoming increasingly city-like as the population and developments grow.
“My overall concept is about keeping Cochrane a small town — that means putting families first,” he said. “If you look at the information on Statistics Canada, there are families here. That means emphasis on safety, schools and parks.”
But his focus on maintaining the small-town feel does not mean he’s anti-development. Nagel said his vision for Cochrane’s growth is fixated on quality over quantity. A self-described “fiscal conservative,” Nagel said he does not ever want to see taxes raised in Cochrane.
“I see a lot of pressure these days — especially when talking transit — to increase tax,” he said. “The way I see it, if you’re raising taxes it means the government is growing faster than Cochrane is. That’s not the right way to do this.
“I understand things will come up. But I think if you dig deep enough, you’ll find fat to trim.”
A supporter of community events, Nagel said he’s looking forward to the next phase of his campaign to become councillor. Soon he’ll be hitting the pavement, knocking on doors and meeting with residents to get a feel of what the community is searching for in a leader.
Nagel said the public can reach him at [email protected] or by calling 403-862-0053. To learn more, visit votenagel.ca.
