Bonnyville Mayor Ernie Isley has officially announced he will not be running for the position again in October's municipal elections, bringing an end to his seven-year tenure as mayor of Bonnyville.
Speaking to the Nouvelle on Friday, Isley said he's accomplished what he had set out to achieve when he was acclaimed as mayor in March 2006 and that he's confident in the ability of the existing administration to assist the new mayor in taking the town forward over the next four years.
“When I moved back to Bonnyville, I had absolutely no intention of getting involved in municipal politics,” said Isley, who had previously spent 14 years as a provincial politician from 1979 to 1993.
“The main thing I involved myself in was volunteering to raise funds for the Centennial Centre. Then when Ray Prevost stepped down from the role of mayor in 2006, the pressure came on me to step up so I did, and we saw the C2 project completed.”
The 76-year-old mayor said alongside the C2 project, he was happy to see an added business presence in town and that council had managed to keep tax rates down, both for residential and non-residential properties.
Isley said he was also proud of the fact that Bonnyville sustained itself through investment via the private sector, pointing out that the town receives next to no funding from the provincial government – something he feels he's partly to blame for.
“Bonnyville is a business town, it doesn't rely on government money the same way Cold Lake does,” Isley said. “This town hasn't seen much help from the province since I came into office, and I think that's because I switched (from Progressive Conservative to Wildrose). So maybe the residents will receive a little more from the provincial government if I leave.”
With Bonnyville now searching for its first mayor in seven years, Isley said there are a number of individuals capable of stepping up into the role and leading the town forward in the future.
“I believe anyone on the current council could step into the job and do well, but of course any community members interested in the position could come forward too. You don't necessarily need council experience to run,” Isley said.
Now that he's on the way out, Isley said he's looking forward to enjoying full retirement, stating it's his turn to travel and spend time with his extended family.
“All in all, I don't think I've had too bad of a run during my time as mayor. I've had a good relationship with council, administration and residents,” Isley said. “But I'm getting old. It's my turn to travel around and to tease my grandkids and great grandkids. Hopefully the town will get a bit of a better deal from the provincial government if I'm not in office too – that way everyone is happy.”
