COCHRANE— Announcing his bid for a second term, Mayor Jeff Genung is the first candidate from the current Cochrane Council to announce they are seeking re-election.
Genung is running for mayor again, he said, because he always intended on seeking two terms.
“I know that you can’t get everything done in one term. It takes a long time to move the needle,” Genung said. “I have unfinished business."
Genung is the first mayoral candidate running in Cochrane. Kaitlin Chamberlain, Bruce Townley, Brandon Cruze, Dan Cunin, Paul Singh, Samantha Nickerson and Todd Muir are vying for a town councillor seat.
The municipal election takes place on Oct. 18. Nominations for the election will continue to be accepted for Mayor and Council until Sept. 20.
Council has undertaken several initiatives in the last term, Genung said, and a major component motivating his re-election bid is ensuring transportation in town continues to be addressed— This includes keeping the work on 1A Highway moving forward and maintaining a relationship with the province to raise Cochrane’s provincial profile and funding opportunities.
“I’m quite pleased with the fact that, we knew we were going to have a delay in that project due to nothing that we could control with the pipelines and the archeological dig, so once we found that out we started to take action into our own hands, so voilà the 1A project,” Genung said. “There’s so much more to do.”
While plans often do not go according to plan, Genung said, he appreciates how his experience as mayor has taught him how to “roll with the punches.”
“I like the challenge of the position. I love being around people. I love being active and a part of building Cochrane’s future,” Genung said.
Cochrane is a dynamic, changing, exciting and fluid community and it has been exciting tackling the rich variety of issues Council faces.
One of the more challenging aspects of the town is the extreme growth Cochrane has undergone over the last decade. These challenges are presenting themselves through the traffic congestion in town, Genung said, but the ripple effect can be felt throughout the community.
“I really want to focus our attention on to the residents of Cochrane— People,” Genung said.
Recently he has been working to raise funds for The Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area and Seniors on The Bow to ensure the needs of youth and seniors in the community are met.
Genung grew up in Cochrane and has called the town home for almost his entire life. His children have also grown up in Cochrane, and his parents are still in the area. Genung added he and his wife have also found success with their local business.
“We have a lot to be thankful for in Cochrane and I would just like to continue to give back for that,” Genung said.
He described himself as a hands-on leader who strives to be in the know about what is going on in the community.
“I lead with listening— I really like to hear what people think and their ideas," he said. Adding from there they can embrace collaboration to accomplish goals.
The last year-and-a-half has been the most challenging time of his life, and it was difficult as mayor serving as a spokesperson for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. This adversity was heightened because at the same time Town administration was dealing with a CAO who resigned, forcing them to find a new one.
He is especially proud of Town administration and Council for their work during COVID-19 because they did not "stop and duck and cover." Instead, they found opportunities like the 1A Highway improvement project.
Genung said the health crisis factored into his desire to seek re-election because he would like to serve another term to fill the void of what was taken from Council in terms of in-person interactions in the community.
He would also like to see the expansion of parks and pathways and the Horse Creek Sports Park.
One of Genung's major goals as mayor was to change the communication from the mayor's office to the community to help people better understand what the Town is doing in the community. This has included the introduction of fireside chats and an increased online video presence on current projects.
“I’ve always just tried to do what the town has asked me to do. I don’t proclaim to have all of my own answers. I don’t think that’s the way a mayor should operate— They should be doing what the community is asking,” Genung said. “I think I’ve done a pretty good job of listening and following through on that.”
