Longtime Bragg Creek resident Liz Breakey came out on top of the Rocky View Division 1 municipal by-election, March 26.
Breakey received 374 votes, defeating David Rupert by 51 votes and former Rocky View councillor Bob Everett by 260. Breakey will be sworn in on April 10, replacing former councillor Rick Butler who died in a Nakiska ski accident, Dec. 27.
ìIt feels wonderful,î said Breakey. ìIt was a hard fought election.î
A total of 811 of 2,349 eligible voters cast a ballot in Division 1, which includes Bragg Creek and Jumping Pound, for an approximate voter turnout of 35 per cent.
Breakey, who was a member of Butlerís campaign team and was endorsed by his wife Gwyn Butler, said the results are bittersweet as the community is still feeling the loss of its councillor.
ìHe was head and shoulders the best councillor we have ever had,î said Breakey of Butler. ìI attended (Butlerís) Town hall meeting in December and the community was feeling so good and I remember feeling so relieved.î
Breakey said her mandate will be to continue the momentum the former councillor began with town meetings, monthly reports and an open door policy for residents.
During campaigning, Breakey said a number of issues came to the forefront including trails, water and wastewater, upcoming development proposals, seniorsí housing and an emergency response plan.
First on Breakeyís agenda is working with the Bragg Creek Chamber of Commerce to promote residents and businesses hooking up to the recently completed water and wastewater systems (see related story on page 4).
Itís a move Breakey says is fundamental to the success of Bragg Creek, a community that has been under a boil-water advisory for decades due to contamination of the alluvial aquifer.
Breakey said there is still opposition to tying into the system, something she hopes to address through education and fiscally responsible planning.
ìItís critical for the future of the community,î she said. ìIt is ready, but it wonít be effective unless we have the target threshold. People need to tie in.î
Breakey also wants to address a lack of affordable housing options in the community.
ìWe want a better rounded community. We have had no comprehensive well-planned development for 20 years,î she said.
ìWe need young families... to maintain the community.î
A proponent of Provincial governmentís Alberta Land Stewardship Act, Breakey said she anticipates working closely with the neighbouring municipalities of Bighorn and Foothills.
She also favours regional planning, saying she would be open to supporting a return to the Calgary Regional Partnership, but only on Rocky Viewís terms.
ìThe voting structures and the densities are deal breakers,î she said.
