If you have a burning desire to be a mayor or councillor of your community, now is the time to take action.
The call for nominations for this fall's municipal elections has gone out, and they are due to be submitted to local returning officers by 4 p.m. on September 19.
Elections in urban municipalities - that's all communities, everything from hamlets to cities - will take place all over Saskatchewan on Wednesday, October 24.
In Humboldt, candidates may run for the position of mayor, or one of six councillors.
At present, there are five councillors for the City of Humboldt - one position was left empty when Marilyn Scott resigned earlier this year.
Of the other five - Gord Lees, Aaron Behiel, Phil Smith, Leon Fleischhacker and Rob Muench - at least two will not be seeking re-election this fall.
Leon Fleischhacker is one that will be running for his seat again this fall.
This will be his third term as a councillor, if he is elected.
"There's a lot happening in the region that's been interesting. Things are starting up that I'd like to see through," he said as to why he wants to run again.
He's still finding council interesting, he added, and wants to be involved with what is going on, especially when it comes to asset management and planning for the next five years.
"I still enjoy it," he smiled.
And with his children now out of high school and moved away, he's got more time to devote to council matters than he has had in his other two terms.
That this term in office will be four years instead of the traditional three - that's been planned for years now - doesn't bother Fleischhacker.
"Three or four, it doesn't really matter," he said.
Gord Lees is one of those who is hanging up his councilman's hat this fall.
Lees has already served two three-year terms on council, and adding another term - a four-year term - seemed like too much.
"It would make it 10 years," he told the Journal.
"I think it's time for someone else, (a) fresh face, fresh ideas."
When he first joined council, the first two years was all about learning the ropes, Lees indicated.
"There is so much to learn. I don't know if anyone knows what it's going to be like."
It took almost his entire first term to get some confidence, he said, and find out what was going on and how things operate.
And six years ago in Humboldt, things were just starting to grow and change.
"The election was in October of 2006," he said, "and by March 2007, everything exploded."
All of a sudden, City lots were sold out, whereas before, they were lucky if they sold one or two a year.
"We became very, very busy, which was a good thing," Lees said.
He stayed on a second term in order to do the role of councillor justice, he indicated, because his first term had been so focused on learning the ropes.
Part of the reason he's stepping aside now is because his life is getting busier. As a partner in Discovery Ford, he's been very busy business-wise, he noted, and he feels he can't give council the attention it deserves.
Six years have just flown by, Lees said.
"It absolutely blows my mind," he smiled "But it's been fun, a great learning experience. I have a different respect for what goes on in municipal government.
"I don't regret it."
Their council, Lees said, was a good one.
"Everyone was on the same wavelength... wanting to see the city grow and prosper. In that regard, everybody had the same vision for the community and the area," Lees noted.
Aaron Behiel is another councillor who won't be throwing his hat into the ring this fall.
"I don't have time," he said as to why he won't be seeking re-election.
Between a young family and his work as a lawyer, his schedule is pretty full. Serving a third term on council just won't fit.
Still, the experience was "phenomenal," he told the Journal.
"I hate to go off," he said, now that he knows more. There are projects, especially those involving fixing water and sewer systems and roads, that he would like to see through to the finish.
"But at some point, you have to turn it over and trust that the next group will carry it forward," he stated, not that the councils he served on had all the answers, he added.
"I like to think we made a lot of progress," he said.
"I've been a big fan of moving to a city mentality," he noted.
Six years ago, when he started, a lot of things were still done the way the Town of Humboldt had always done them.
In the last few years, especially with the help of the new finance director, Steve Brown, the city has adopted more of a city attitude towards things, especially when it comes to capital and asset management, Behiel said.
They have started to set aside funds for equipment replacement, he noted, which means that when they need a new truck or another large piece of equipment, funds are already in place for its purchase. They no longer have to find money for those things, he indicated.
What is being on council like?
The councillors all gave pretty much the same answer to that question.
It's busy, and involves a lot of meetings - about four a month for sure, Lees said, with an average around six, between council meetings, committee meetings and special meetings that are called throughout the year.
"It's definitely a time commitment," Fleischhacker agreed. "You have to be willing to do that."
It's also a bit of a revelation, once you sit down at that table, they warned.
"You realize you can't wave a magic wand and fix things," Lees said.
"Things happen slower," said Fleischhacker. "That's the political process. Everything takes time."
"It was an eyeopener to see the costs, what it takes to run the city. I think everyone should be exposed to that.... I think a lot of people take a lot for granted, and don't realize what's entailed," Behiel said.
It was a lot of work, he said, echoing Lees' sentiments about a large learning curve for new councillors.
But they all encouraged anyone who has any interest in city council to try it out.
"I highly recommend it. It was a very positive experience," Lees said.
Fleischhacker suggested those still on the fence attend some council meetings this fall, to get an idea of what council does before they sign up for it.
