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Cochrane Town Councillor Morgan Nagel says he’s hit a breaking point and has decided to run for mayor. Screenshot/Morgan Nagel
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Cochrane Town Councillor Morgan Nagel says he’s reached a breaking point, and now plans to run for mayor.

Nagel’s announcement comes on the heels of what he described as the largest public hearing in the town’s history. Hundreds of residents packed Council Chambers, the front foyer, and overflow rooms at the Cochrane RancheHouse Wednesday night to weigh in on the future of the community's rec centre.

“There were literally hundreds of people in attendance,” Nagel said in a video posted online. “The Council chambers were packed full... there were chairs out in the foyer, and an extra event space with a speaker and screen set up to accommodate everyone.”

The packed hearing centered around a proposal to hand over operations of the Cochrane Rec Centre to the Calgary-based YMCA, a move Nagel and many residents say was introduced too quickly, without adequate consultation.

“There’s been a push to make this decision very quickly,” Nagel said. “It would leave the Cochrane community with little to no control over the whole facility.”

Nagel said after seeing how the mayor and town administration responded to public concerns, he felt compelled to take action.

“I just hit a breaking point last night,” he said. “I stayed up late talking to my wife, and this morning, I made the decision — I’m going to run for mayor.”


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Nagel has served on council for nearly 12 years. He says the decision was made without a formal campaign plan in place, calling the announcement an "emergent decision" that he felt had to be shared with residents immediately.

“Either I need to be part of making a major change or I’m done,” Nagel said. “I believe Cochrane needs a new direction, and I want to offer that leadership.”

Nagel says he plans to speak more in the coming days about the YMCA issue and what broader changes he believes are needed for the community.

Nagel has yet to file his nomination papers, while Mayor Jeff Genung and Dean Hopkins are already officially in the race.

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