City council will have a vacancy in the near future.
In an interview Tuesday, Councillor Chris Istace told The Mercury that he and his family will be moving to the Vancouver Island community of Chemainus later this year.
Istace said the decision to step down from council, which he will do at the end of 2013, was a difficult one.
"I absolutely enjoyed (being on council) but we all have to look out for ourselves and our families," he said. "I feel a little disappointed in not being able to complete the mission I was on to better the community, but at the same time I think I had the impact I wanted and saw a few things come to fruition that I wanted to do."
Currently in his second term on council, Istace was first elected in 2009. He received the most votes among the six successful candidates in that election and was again given a strong mandate in October 2012 when he received 2,061 votes - second among the incumbent councillors and third overall.
Istace has been among the vocal members of council and was a strong proponent of the City's new recycling program. He has also been an advocate for leisure activities and has pushed for more pathways and green spaces in Estevan.
Istace said he was proud to bring a different perspective to council during his two terms.
"At the time when I first came on, I brought a younger perspective on how we approach our outdoor spaces, green spaces, facilities. The point of view of what people might want to see (for young families).
"Recycling, pushing that non-stop and not changing my view on how to accomplish it. I was really happy to see that part of it. From a business owner and economic side of things, just to see the City constantly work to a point where we are open and willing to work with business and developers and make it a place where it is easy to do business and replace any previous stigma or preconceived notions."
Along with his work on council and involvement in the business community, Istace was also an active member of the Estevan Rotary and served as president of the Trackside Motocross Park.
Once he officially steps down, the City will be forced to hold a by-election as the next civic election is not scheduled until 2016. Under provincial bylaws, the only way a community can avoid a by-election is if a seat becomes vacant in the same year that the election takes place.
Istace said that although the City currently has some challenges ahead of it, most notably a significant amount of debt, he feels things are moving in the right direction.
"It's always a critical time, there is always something going on. But the other members of council that are here and I am extremely impressed and actually taken aback by the great job that (Mayor Roy Ludwig) has done.
"We have done a lot of work over the last while to get the right management in place. From a fiscal standpoint, (treasurer) Jeff Ward is a blessing and is providing council with the answers we needed, and he is giving the public the openness and the transparency they want. Everything is out there and we are all educated now together. Next year is going to be tough and money-wise I don't think we are going to be able to do a whole lot. It's a tough road ahead, but there is a strong, confident council that knows that road is there and is excited to take on that challenge. There is a great team there."
