County Reeve Darcy Geigle will run again

By Tim Kalinowski on August 17, 2017.

tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal

Reeve Darcy Geigle is ready to run for another term in Ward 2 (Irvine/Walsh) in the Cypress County municipal election this October.

Geigle is a longtime farmer in the Irvine area. He has spent 13 years on council, serving as reeve for seven.

“When you’re the reeve all the wards in the county are yours,” explains Geigle. “When councillors need some guidance, or when the ratepayers aren’t happy, then they phone you because they want to talk to the guy at the top. You explain what you can, and see if you can help. You try to keep council as a whole on the right path.”

Geigle feels this council has gotten a lot done in the past four years, and he is proud of what it has accomplished.

“We have gotten quite a few big projects done in the last four years and we still have the lowest taxes in Alberta,” states Geigle. “It’s quite a feat. Not many governments today can say they are doing that. We are even getting a few new businesses moving into the county. So things are looking good there.”

Geigle’s home ward of Irvine/ Walsh has been the beneficiary of a lot of those projects the past four years —of note, a new regional water pipeline between Dunmore and Walsh and substantial sewer and water upgrades in the hamlet of Irvine.

“My ratepayers have done well the past four years,” confirms Geigle, “but it was just our turn. As a county we have to look after everybody the same.”

Geigle typically casts the dissenting vote when new residential subdivisions are brought forward for council’s approval.

“I am not totally against these kinds of developments,” explains Geigle, “but I think there has to be a good spot for everything, right?

“If it’s a piece of land where nothing grows on it, coulees surround it or a creek divides it, that’s a good place to put a house. It just seems once these subdivisions get going, they just keep going. Some of them have more houses than some of our hamlets.”

Geigle says he appreciates the trust his voters have continued to put in him over the years

“I have the dedication to be on council. I have only missed one council meeting in the past 13 years, and I have never missed returning a phone call to any ratepayer, no matter how big or small the problem is. People here know who I am, and I am pretty sure they know where I stand on things.”

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