Coun. Dustin Vossler will be running for re-election in Cypress County this October.--AG-MATTERS PHOTO
tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal
Coun. Dustin Vossler announced he is running for re-election in Cypress County earlier this week. Vossler represents Ward 6 (Black and White/Seven Persons).
Vossler’s ward has both active urban development and a strong agricultural sector. This requires Vossler to seek out compromises on council and act as dealmaker at times.
“I have never been one to beat around the bush,” he confirms. “When I see two groups of people fighting on one side or the other, I think, ‘why don’t we come to an equal distance and figure out something which will work for both sides?’
“In the end, I would rather come to a place where all of council can vote the same way.”
Vossler is still the youngest councillor at 29-years-old. He is a certified heavy machinery mechanic, a volunteer firefighter and a farmer. As chair of county’s Fire Services Board, he pushed hard for Cypress County to end its ongoing fire services agreement with the City of Medicine Hat. Vossler has no regrets about that decision.
“As far as fire services go, I think we are going to continue to advance our fire station in Dunmore. Our fire chief is in negotiations with the city’s fire chief to see what we are going to be doing with them, whether we do sign some sort of agreement for service with them.
“But we do have a bunch of very good, paid, on-call firefighters in Cypress County now, and we can do as good, if not a better, job than our contract services provide currently.”
If elected to another term, Vossler says he wants to see continued prosperity and growth in Cypress County.
“In the next four years, the biggest thing I want to work on is the undeveloped road allowance issue to see all roads in the county built up to an acceptable standard so they are passable at any time of the year. I also want to focus on increasing business development in the county, and get more jobs into our smaller centres.”
At the end of the day, Vossler says dedication to public service is what drives him to run for public office.
“I want to see our communities thrive, and for people to be involved in their communities,” says Vossler.
“We want to get that community spirit back which has been lost a bit over the years; so anything we can do to help contribute to that, in my personal perspective, I am more than happy to do.”