Regional Councillor Jane Fogal has had a change of heart about retirement, instead throwing her name into the municipal council race today (July 27).
The long-time representative for Wards 3 and 4 had announced her intentions not to run again at a May 24 council meeting. A few days later, current local Councillor Wendy Farrow-Reed filed to run for the regional spot.
“There is more work to be done,” Fogal told HaltonHillsToday about her decision to enter the race.
She cited the recent motion approved by council in support of gas-fired power plants as one of the reasons she changed her mind. At the July 4 council meeting, Fogal found herself, along with Councillor Ann Lawlor, opposing the motion to publicly support gas-fired power plants, leading to a long and testy debate.
“We spent two and a half hours arguing about that. And I thought, ‘Well, I wouldn't be able to be part of that conversation if I was retired,’” she said.
Climate change and the environment are some of Fogal's passions, often throwing her support behind green projects like Hungry Hollow.
She also believes that retirement isn’t suited for her, saying that, “I have no idea what retired people do.”
“Since announcing my retirement, I found that I'm still signing up for webinars on how municipalities run, how to make great communities. And I had to ask myself, ‘Why am I still doing this? And why am I not planning my retirement?' And that’s the way it’s going.”
