Thompson, Bill – Ward 4

By Scott Schmidt on September 29, 2025.

1. Why have you chosen to run for council, and what are your top priorities for the county?

I decided to run for council as we love this area. We’ve owned acreages in the area for 25 years and have lived here on and off. We moved back full time in 2017, and plan to stay. I have strong experience in business, finance, government & have really enjoyed working on local boards. My top priority is examining the possibilities to increase both commercial & residential development. That said, I know that there must be a balance between development and preserving rural character, farmland and ecosystems.

2. What are your top priorities for your ward, and how would you work with council to meet those unique needs?

My top priority for my ward is to work with constituents to ensure they are heard. I have time to focus on council work & duties as am fully retired. Maybe coffee meetings, online surveys, developing a plan for easy 2-way communication channels. Will have to look at ways that constituents are interested in having conversations, and plan from there.

3. What is your vision for development in Cypress County, and how can council work to attract more residents and more business?

I see a great opportunity for future development in Cypress County. As I’ve already said, it needs to strike a balance. New homes and businesses would do a number of positive things:

Broaden the property-tax base to ease pressure on existing ratepayers and provide more funding for road upgrades, emergency services, recreation, and utilities.
Create local jobs and business opportunities
Provide amenities and convenience. Limited residential growth can support small retail (like grocery, hardware and fuel) that might otherwise be too sparse to survive, reducing long drives into Medicine Hat
Developers could help accelerate infrastructure improvements (to the benefit of existing residents) as they often have to contribute to road, water, or wastewater upgrades.
Attracting young families keeps rural schools viable, can help maintain volunteer fire and sports groups, and strengthens social networks
Some commercial uses (like value-added processing, ag-tech firms) can support local producers and diversify the rural economy beyond raw commodity sales.

There obviously needs to be transparency in planning, and clear zoning identified.

To attract more development, these are just a few things that could be looked at:

Streamlining approvals and permitting
Creating advance plans so that desirable pieces of land have the right zoning.
Offer tax or fee incentives for the first few years for new businesses creating local employment.
Work with provincial and federal grants to offset infrastructure costs.
Develop and investment guide highlighting low tax rates, location advantages and available land.

I’d look forward to working with the council to come up with some more innovative ideas.