Last week Ponoka County CAO Charlie Cutforth was recognized for his 40 years of public service in municipal government work.
He received a special 40-year pin at the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties conference. In an interview with Ponoka News, Cutforth said he was 23 when he first entered the municipal world after taking a job as the accountant for what was then called the County of Lacombe.
With some ambition in him, Cutforth knew he wanted to move up so he took the assistant CAO job in Athabasca about three years later. He stayed in that role for two years until the CAO position at Ponoka County opened up.
Jobs like that in the central Alberta Highway 2 corridor don’t come around often, so Cutforth jumped at the chance. “If I have to work for the rest of my life I might as well be the boss,” he joked, adding that it’s the taxpayers who are the real bosses.
He was quick to point out that this is by no means a retirement pin. Cutforth says he loves the job and praised his dedicated staff members for their work.
A lot has changed since Cutforth first started out; back then the school boards were still in the county system and it wasn’t until 1995 that Wolf Creek Public Schools was formed. School boards aren’t the only thing that has changed.
Where Cutforth is concerned is what appears to be a trend in municipal government to regulate residents. Something governments forget, says Cutforth, is these same regulations now have to be enforced. And while you can’t please everybody, he explained, if operations are run in a simple, common sense manner then residents will appreciate that.
While he tries to reduce the red tape on the county side of things, regulations are also growing on the government side, forcing municipalities to a heavier workload.
He remembered when then county councillor Tom Butterfield spoke up when the county offices were looking to get a copier. Butterfield told Cutforth that, “If you can tell me at least one benefit that at least one taxpayer is going to get then you get my vote.”
That sentiment has stayed with him over the years.
“I think it’s just the fact that I think about how I would feel,” said Cutforth.
He pointed out that where most people feel disillusioned with government is that things aren’t conducted in a transparent manner. “Nobody knows what’s really going on. It’s all going on behind closed doors.”
His approach? Keep it simple. “The only reason we exist is because of those taxpayers.”
The door is literally always open in Cutforth’s case and he makes a point of speaking with residents about their concerns.
Another area he has seen major changes are in subdivision developments. What was once a majority farm community has seen growth in the area of subdivisions, usually with farm families looking to expand their financial portfolio or to make space for more family members.
“I don’t think people have changed that much. The fact is they pay taxes and they rightfully expect service,” added Cutforth.
One thing he tells all new councillors is that the worst thing they can tell residents with a request is that a decision might set a precedent. Cutforth looks at it from another perspective: “If it is a good thing to do then why the heck is it a bad thing to set a precedent?”
He advises looking at each case and then consider that, “If it doesn’t adversely affect somebody else, isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”
Cutforth added he feels lucky to have served county residents for all these years.