It has been difficult for Mary Lou Davis to let go of the myriad of issues facing Cochrane during the last six years following her reign as a town councillor from 2004-07, which is why she has decided to toss her hat back into the political arena.
It has been difficult for Mary Lou Davis to let go of the myriad of issues facing Cochrane during the last six years following her reign as a town councillor from 2004-07, which is why she has decided to toss her hat back into the political arena.
“I am not going to spearhead any one issue, ” said Davis, a 20-year Cochrane resident, “because those issues are going to change. ”
Known for being an opposing voice to the implementation of a transit system as it was presented to council, one of Davis’ main objectives if elected to council would be to get residents more involved in the decision-making process, particularly when it comes to major capital projects.
“The public is smart, ” Davis said, declaring she has a strong desire to provide all, not just some, of the information on any given matter to Cochranites.
Like many of this year’s candidates, Davis is concerned by the current tax base in Cochrane, which sits at an 87 per cent residential, 13 per cent commercial split, and what that ratio means when it comes to paying for multi-million dollar projects, like the Aquatic Centre, Curling Club and transit.
“Just because you build it doesn’t mean people will come, ” Davis said. “It has to be done right. ”
Presently working toward her legal assistant certificate and possibly a diploma, Davis said she has learned a lot about the value of research since her first stint on council, and said one difference between now and then would that she now holds a strong desire to dig deeper into the issues that are presented by town administration and not simply rely on staff reports.
Also important to Davis is maintaining Cochrane’s community feeling, and continuing to encourage residents to get involved in Cochrane’s arts, culture, music and sports scenes.
Owner of Bentleys Books, Davis believes Cochrane must strive to keep its young people in the community by offering more in the way of employment and education, and the possibility of having institutions like Bow Valley College look at Cochrane as an attractive location.
Continued maintenance and improvement of Cochrane’s roadways, the feeling of space with housing developments and expansion of green space are all key to Davis’ view of Cochrane’s future.
Elaborating on the transit issue, Davies said she is not against a system in Cochrane, but rather against the current model, timing and cost. She said the system should first be tested on a small scale to ensure its success, and that the operating costs must be revisited.
In the end, for Davis it’s about being a voice for residents.
“People need to find someone they can trust and will advocate for them, ” said Davis, who, since walking away from council chambers six years ago, feels she has always done just that.
