Three local mayors, all veterans of municipal politics, chose not to run in the October 20 elections. Craig Copeland (Cold Lake), Maureen Miller (St. Paul), and Parrish Tung (Elk Point) are handing the reins of their municipalities to new mayors and councils.
None of their successors are total rookies. In Cold Lake and Elk Point, the new mayors (Bob Mattice and Wanda Cochrane, respectively) have served on council. In St. Paul, mayor-elect Glenn Andersen served 10 years in the mayor’s chair, from 2007 to 2017.
In separate interviews, the mayors agreed on a lot of things.
Tung says he has confidence in his successor’s ability. His advice to Cochrane is to “be grateful that she has the trust of the majority of our residents, and also be mindful that we’re only human.
“We make mistakes along the way,” he said. “The fortunate and unfortunate part is that we’re asked to make decisions on behalf of our residents. That’s why we run for council, and that’s why our residents trust that we’ll do what’s best for them.”
Andersen will have four new members on his council. Miller says a mayor needs to build new councillors’ confidence quickly. She said the community, too, needs to offer council time to learn.
“It’s exciting to get different minds around the table. I think that’s healthy for a community,” Miller said.
“Our community needs to allow some grace. It has become a very harsh community toward elected officials, all of us,” she said. “There is a lot to learn, and this new crew needs to be given that grace to learn without that immediate pressure.”
Copeland adds it’s important to respect the staff’s role.
“[Chief Administrative Officer] Kevin Nagoya’s got a lot of years in that position, and we’ve got a great bunch of staff underneath him,” Copeland said. “Our job on council is not to interfere, but to provide policy and direction and the budget, and just guide that way.”
Parting wisdom?
Tung: “Treasure the trust that was bestowed upon us elected officials by our residents, and respect the trust that we received. Serve with humility, but also serve with honesty.”
Miller: “It’s truly been a pleasure to serve. This is one of my greatest highlights, the community is in a good space when we leave, and it feels great to hand that torch off to the next people who will have the community grow again.”
Copeland: “There’s a lot of pride in seeing the community go forward on everything from infrastructure to recreation to the policy decisions. I’ve tried my best with always working with council and being a spokesman for them, and it’s just been a great pleasure.”