Council’s final four say they’re ready to work

By Scott Schmidt on October 23, 2025.

ZOE MASON & ANNA SMITH
Medicine Hat News
With final council results rolling in late Wednesday night, the face of city governance for the next four years has been decided.

Bill Cocks, Cheryl Phaff, Dan Reynish and Brian Varga will fill the final four council seats. They will join Yusuf Mohammed, Ted Clugston, Stuart Young and Chris Hellman to form council. The latter four were declared by the News on Tuesday. 
Cocks is no stranger to council. He served three consecutive terms between 1998 and 2007, and came back for a fourth term in 2013. 
He says the new council’s first order of business should be hiring a new chief administrative officer.
“No question about that,” he told the News. “We need to get that person in place, and thereafter, we need a strategic planning session to get our priorities established so we can give direction to that.”
His first priority as councillor is economic growth. He wants to see a plan made with active input from both councillors and economic development staff, as soon as possible.
“Calgary is booming, they can’t keep up with their growth. And we’re treading water for the last 10 years.”
Varga is also a council veteran. He’s ran for office six times over the past 18 years, including two successful bids in 2013 and 2017. 
“I know both sides of the road,” he told the News on Thursday. “(Wednesday) was pretty nerve-wracking. Since Sunday, actually.”
He describes this year’s unusual election as a rollercoaster ride — as results came in gradually over the past few days, his name jumped up and down the tally. 
“In the end, I was looking forward to being on council again, and my wish came true,” he said. 
His first priority back in the council chair is to get to know his fellow councillors and form collaborative goals with them.
Phaff feels optimistic, looking at how the new council has shaped up and feels it points toward a Medicine Hat that is ready for change.
The election comes after several days of feeling cautiously hopeful, watching how many strong campaigns were put forward by fellow candidates, but she feels ready to get down to work.
“I want to get to know my new colleagues and and have some discussion on their vision of Medicine Hat,” Phaff said. “And then after that, I definitely want to sit down look at our finances and see where our money's coming in and where it's going out, and get a clear picture of that.” 
Likewise, watching results shift as ballots were hand counted made for some sleepless nights for Reynish, though he couldn’t be more pleased with the final counts.
“I believed in the campaign that I ran, and win or lose, I was prepared to live with the results. Though these results are a lot easier to live with, of course,” said Reynish. 
He expressed deep gratitude to the people of Medicine Hat for putting their trust and belief in him and his campaign, and says he looks forward to beginning his orientation, working alongside mayor-elect Linnsie Clark and collaborating with the rest of council.

2
-1