I am looking forward to 2018! I hope you all enjoyed some time off over the holidays and spent time reconnecting with the important things in your life.
I enjoyed time with friends and family, but I also I have been reflecting on the work I do to serve this community.
This year will be a good one for Cochrane residents, businesses and visitors. The 2018 budget includes funding for traffic solutions and support for increased public engagement on important issues. When we approved the budget last month, our goal was to keep the property tax rate increase as low as possible, while also finding the resources required to continue serving the community and planning for our future. I think we struck a good balance. To view the final budget and check financial statements from past years, go to cochrane.ca/Budget.
I am not someone who usually makes resolutions, but a new year is a great time to set some goals and I have three this year:
1. Be more visible in the community so you can see the work I’m doing to make Cochrane better.
2. Encourage my council colleagues to continue talking and listening to you.
3. Support town administration and staff so they can continue to provide a high level of service.
When you see me, feel free to let me know how I’m doing – follow me on Facebook and you can let me know anytime!
My predictions for 2018 are based on the hard work I plan to do for our community and the plans that town council and administration have put in place for all of us.
I predict we’ll see more community involvement in important local conversations and that more of you will get involved in community events. I predict more of you will access information we provide on capital projects, planning decisions and long-term plans. And I predict that your level of knowledge of town operations will improve. I also predict you will see some changes to our traffic flow in congested areas as we implement initiatives from our engineers to make improvements ahead of physical changes.
Remember, all council meetings are open to the public. Delegations can make presentations to council, and anyone can attend to observe the discussions and decisions being made. Or stay tuned for future episodes of my Fireside Chats where I will outline council proceedings, you may also see a special guest here and there.
I look forward to seeing you! Happy New Year Cochrane!
