McKenzie looking forward to being a fresh voice on Cypress County council
When Michelle McKenzie from Ward 1 (Hilda/Schuler) takes her place at the council table Tuesday she will be only the second woman ever to sit as an elected councillor in Cypress County.
McKenzie said she is proud to be a strong woman representing her ward in Cypress County.
“It’s wonderful to have a woman’s voice on council,” she told the News in a recent interview. “Women see things differently from men. For example, on cemeteries. That’s the first thing you see when you drive into Schuler. It looks horrible. And yet, I bet a million men could drive by that and never notice it. As women, we just have a different perspective on life and everything.”
McKenzie realizes she has a lot to learn coming onto council, but said she feels confident in her ability to interact well with her male colleagues.
“I am going in with a positive attitude, and I am eager to learn all I need to,” she said.
Sharon Getz in many ways broke through the barriers which allowed McKenzie to assume her seat today.
Getz was the first woman elected in Cypress County, representing Ward 5 (Dunmore/Veinerville) back in 1998. She served in that capacity for two terms until she resigned in 2004.
Getz said Cypress County was different in those days than it is now.
“A lot of the councillors on at that time were old cowboys, and I was a city girl who had moved to Dunmore,” remembered Getz. “So there was a lot of different thinking going on there, but I learned to work well with them. The first couple of years was a learning curve, but it was good.”
Getz said if she had any advice for McKenzie it would be to speak up for her constituents and work honestly toward the good of her ward.
“You have to be pretty direct with your concerns, vocal and you have to represent your people,” she said. “And, at the end of the day, you have to work with the other councillors because you have to understand their concerns and work together. It’s a give and take ... There a big learning curve the first two years, but as long as she stays connected with her people and does the best job she can, she’ll be fine.”
McKenzie is excited by the opportunity to take on the challenges of the job. She is also looking forward to giving women in Cypress County a strong voice on council.
“It’s our time at Cypress County,” she said, “and I think it is just wonderful to see women out there doing all these amazing things. We can go out there, and do anything we choose to do.”