New Okotoks mayor vows to keep population cap in place

Okotoks’ contentious population cap will remain in place, says Bill Robertson, who won a hard-fought race for mayor Monday in the community south of Calgary.

"For the immediate future, that’s what the people have told us they want," said Robertson, an elementary school teacher.

The two-way battle for the mayor’s chair thrust the issue of town growth in the spotlight in Okotoks, one of the high profile elections in southern Alberta rural ridings.

The post was left open after incumbent mayor Bill McAlpine decided to retire.

Beth Kish, who faced off against Robertson, was calling for controlled growth in Okotoks. Kish said the town, which has seen its population double to just under 23,000 people in the last decade, is primed for fresh ideas to keep pace with the growth.

Robertson said the debate has helped prompt a "tremendous" among of interest in the election.

Meanwhile, several familiar faces across southern Alberta will return to their council jobs today.

In Chestermere, Mayor Patricia Matthews won her seat by acclamation. Ten candidates were running for six councillor seats in the town east of Calgary.

The City of Airdrie saw three candidates challenging incumbent Mayor Linda Bruce, who was seeking her third term in office.

In Cochrane, Truper McBride held on to his mayor’s chair.

McBride, who vied against Mike Anderson for the position, said executing a 50-year development growth plan, developed by council over the last three years, is one of the main priorities for the town.

"From here, what we need to do is focus on economic development," said McBride, noting that cleaning up a 18-hectare site in downtown Cochrane used until the late 1980s to treat railway ties, is one of the first steps.

"We’re really trying to create vibrant urban core."

Regional transit and park development are also key, he said.

In Canmore, preliminary results showed incumbent Ron Casey also held on to the mayor’s chair.

Six candidates ran for mayor in Strathmore, including incumbent George Lattery. Preliminary results weren’t available at press time.

jkomarnicki@calgaryherald.com