An email sent out yesterday by town councillor Patrick Wilson in support of United Conservative (UCP) candidate Morgan Nagel has raised a red flag.

Early in his Oct. 3 email, Wilson placed emphasis on his position as a Cochrane town councillor in his endorsement of Nagel for the Airdrie-Cochrane UCP nomination. That has caused concern for Mayor Jeff Genung and at least one other person who received the email.

In the endorsement, Wilson wrote, “I am emailing you today as a Cochrane Town Councillor and as a proud member of the United Conservative Party.”

He went on to explain his personal views of why Nagel is the best person to receive the UCP constituency association’s nomination.

Wilson says he wishes he hadn’t phrased it that way.

“My one mess up was there. I meant to write that I’m writing as a UCP member and that I happen to be also a member of Cochrane town council. At no point do I want to speak for our group.”

He quickly received one email from a person objecting to the wording and Wilson responded with that same clarification.

“I misworded it,” says Wilson. “It’s an email that has already been sent so it’s hard to change that, but if I could send again it would just simply say that I proud member of the UCP and I’m also a town councillor in Cochrane.”

“I’ll resend the email. It’s already been posted, though, so I'm pretty sure it won’t make any lick of a difference.”

Mayor Genung was quick to express his concern. While there is no set policy for Cochrane town council on endorsing political candidates he cautions councillors to stay clear of doing so.

“I’ve made it clear to council, and it’s not just coming from me, our role as council is to work with whatever form of government is around us; provincially, federally. Obviously, individually we can support who we want and vote for who we want, but as far as it appearing to be coming from the Town of Cochrane or town council that’s when flags go up for me.”

He says the rest of the letter is not in question or bad taste.

“There are no disparaging remarks, it’s just a gray area, it’s a fine line. This one’s walking that line if not stepping on it.”

Genung says council nor the town endorses any political candidate or party.

“We would never do that.”

Wilson isn’t the only town councillor to speak openly about supporting Nagel. Alex Reed has publicly done so in the past but only made fleeting reference to his role as a town councillor.