Bill Cocks seeking re-election
Bill Cocks has officially joined the ranks of those seeking re-election.
The four-term council member registered his campaign with the chief returning officer on Tuesday, and says that he feels proud of what’s been accomplished over the past four years.
“There will be some new faces, certainly, and I’m hoping to be an old face (next term),” he told the News.
Seven of nine current council members have said they will seek re-election when Hatters go to the polls on Oct. 16. That includes six councillors and Mayor Ted Clugston, who remains the only declared candidate for mayor.
Cocks, 65, recently retired from a private career as a lawyer.
He served three terms on council in the 2000s, and then was six years out of politics following an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2007.
He returned to council in 2013 with a campaign to break up perceived gridlock at city hall, promising sound decision making.
He also promised a stay-the-course policy for the energy division in order to weather low prices and declining profits.
As chair of council’s energy committee, however, Cocks eventually agreed with administrators that the city had over-relied on natural gas, which has not recovered from 2009 commodity price crash.
Declining profits made for a $23-million annual budget gap, which led to major budget overhaul in 2016.
At the same time, the Natural Gas Petroleum Resource unit has embarked on a strategy to find oil deposits in the greater southeast region.
Cocks said Tuesday his views have not changed greatly, and he still supports taking a long view on the city’s business units.
“I want to stay in it for the foreseeable future,” he stated, saying prudent management and better strategy will see the business profitable again.
“I hope, as a citizen of Medicine Hat, that we can see it through and bring NPGR back to the point where it will provide a dividend to the people of Medicine Hat.”
A new treasury policy would see profits roll into a trust account, the investment income on which would fund capital spending, not operations.
The energy committee has also backs plans to expand power generating capacity with the 43-megawatt Unit 16 generator in Box Springs Area, as well as power line reinforcement around the city.
Curbside recycling program, due next year, and a study of regional waste management have also recently gone through the committee.
Cocks also dallied with controversy by attempting to block the financing of an armoured car in the police service’s fleet requisition.