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Former councillor to seek election

Rocky View residents will likely recognize a candidate running in this fall’s County election. Responding to pressure from residents, former Councillor Norman Kent, who served two terms, announced his candidacy for Division 9 this week.
Veteran councillor Norman Kent will seek office this fall in the Rocky View County municipal election.
Veteran councillor Norman Kent will seek office this fall in the Rocky View County municipal election.

Rocky View residents will likely recognize a candidate running in this fall’s County election.

Responding to pressure from residents, former Councillor Norman Kent, who served two terms, announced his candidacy for Division 9 this week.

“I have been closely connected to residents, working as a developing consultant for six years,” said Kent, 65. “I have been getting pushed from an awful lot of them who are unhappy with the way things are going now.”

According to Kent, residents have expressed frustration about the County’s debt load, the lack of progress on area structure plans and about being ignored by council.

“They (council) aren’t listening to the people,” said Kent. “They feel they know better than the people. You can’t underestimate their intelligence and that is what is happening.”

Kent first ran for councillor in 1998. He said the political climate was similar at the time, with a lot of public unrest.

During that election, seven of the nine councillors were replaced, while two seats were acclaimed.

Kent feels he can help change that climate through his knowledge of Rocky View and his life experience.

“I am sort of the balance between the country and the acreage owner, because I live on an acreage, but I have been a farmer,” said Kent.

“I understand both sides of the equation and it always comes back to the balance.”

As a development consultant, Kent has worked with many small landowners across the county and has intimate knowledge of current Rocky View planning procedures and area structure plans.

“I have done things in virtually every area of the county,” said Kent. “I am up to speed on everything…I understand the process.”

Although he now lives on an acreage near Cochrane Lake, Kent lived near Bearspaw for 25 years.

During his time on council, he saw several big changes including a new school, traffic lights and a new community centre.

He also worked on several countywide projects including annexations with Cochrane and Airdrie.

If elected, Kent would like to solve several community issues, including residents’ opposition to the Highway 567 gravel pit and the lack of an area structure plan for Cochrane.

He would also like to see the county pay down debt, which currently sits at around $60 million.

“I would try and apply a little common sense,” said Kent. “I was known as being the voice of common sense, and common sense isn’t very common.”

While on council, Kent came up with the slogan ‘Rocky View is a community of communities’ and he still sees the county as unique mix of different demographics, topography and communities.

“I understand the sensibilities of the different portions (of the county),” he said.

“Sometimes you move a very short distance and the sensibilities change a lot. You have to be aware of that so you can make the decisions in the right context.”

According to Kent, the only way to change public unrest in the county is by listening to the people and developing based on the needs of the area.

“Development has be more responsive than it ever has been, and as green as possible…but we don’t want to be gobbling up farmland,” said Kent.

“It is back to what I was doing before - that is responsive government. Listening to the people and making responsible decisions.”

Kent is expecting his approach to create debate with other councillors, but says he is up for the task.

“My defining criteria is, I ask myself… what is the long-term effect of this?” said Kent.

“This quite often puts me on a different decision path than some of the other councillors, but I am thick-skinned, I can handle it.”


Airdrie Today Staff

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