Humboldt will be called to the polls on Oct. 26 but one particular name will not be on the ballot.
Mayor Malcolm Eaton announced on May 26 that he will not be running for re-election.
After discussing it with his wife, Carol, Eaton says it is a good time to step down and pursue other options.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that this is a good time, having spent 10 years as mayor, to let someone else take over.”
With his children spread out across western Canada, especially with his daughters situation as a Fort McMurray evacuee, more family time is on Eaton’s list of possible options for his future newfound retirement time.
“It would be nice to have a little more flexibility to connect with them and help them out when they need it.”
Eaton has spent 13 years with city council, 10 of those being Mayor of Humboldt, working with 14 strong and dedicated city councillors, he says.
It is a bittersweet departure for Eaton, he says, but he is comfortable.
“You build relationships, you meet a lot of people, both locally and provincially.”
Those who are looking to run for mayor will get assistance from Eaton during a transitional period.
For Eaton, running for council and then successfully running for mayor was a way he could be more involved in the community and contribute to making Humboldt a great place to live.
“(It) was all about how I could make a wider contribution to trying to make this a kind of community that people want to live in and move to.”
Eaton suspects that those who are interested are focused on making these improvements to the city but they also have to be good listeners
As a retired teacher, Eaton says he had lots of time to act on boards that are both city, province, and country wide.
“It’s allowed me to be more engaged in the mayor’s work and it’s allowed me to be involved provincially in the Urban Municipalities organization and nationally in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.”
Certain groups do need Humboldt representation at meetings and events, but Eaton says the next mayor does not have to be as engaged by being on the boards and committees.
It is going to be up to the mayor of the day to decide how involved they are, says Eaton.
The mayors position is not full time but the new mayor coming in can be as involved as they would like when it comes to joining committees and mayors groups outside the city.
“There certainly are time expectations and demands but you need to figure out the best way to balance those things,” says Eaton.
Part of the reason Eaton has made this decision long before the election is so the conversation can take place, he says.
Eaton says he and the staff at City Hall are always available to discuss his position and answer any questions.
