James Halladay has decided to take another shot at being the mayor of Estevan, thanks, he said, to the backing of people in the business community.
Halladay filed his nomination papers on Sept. 21, which was the final day to submit the necessary documents. He joined incumbent mayor Roy Ludwig and newcomer Rhyan Hagel as candidates to be at the helm of city council for the next four years.
Halladay ran for mayor four years ago, but finished third behind Ludwig and Lynn Chipley. It was his first attempt at council since running for councillor in 1976.
Initially, he wasn’t keen on running for council this time around, but the encouragement of business owners helped change his mind.
“There were so many who approached me lately that I figured that … if I’m going to run, this would be a good time to run,” Halladay said in an interview with the Mercury.
He has paid close attention to the work of council during the past term. While he believes council has done a good job of running the community, especially in the midst of the economic downturn of the last two years, there is also some room for change and improvement.
“I think there are other ideas that need to be put forth, and I think that’s what I bring to the table,” said Halladay.
The people he has talked to believe it’s time for new ideas, too, and Halladay said they believe he can bring a lot because he’s been part of the business community for the past 44 years.
The city has made significant progress with its beautification efforts during the past four years. He is also pleased with the volunteer base that currently exists in Estevan, and how they helped the city pull off some marquee events.
But he also noted the Estevan Fire Rescue Service could use some help, and Halladay believes that eventually a conversation will be needed about having a full-time firefighting department.
“With the number of fires that we do have, I do not think that two permanent staff is adequate to be able to protect our community, and to be able to assist the municipalities around us,” said Halladay.
He also has some concerns about infrastructure, such as roads, water mains and sewer systems, that he said need to be dealt with, although he believes council is moving in the right direction on the infrastructure front, and that all the needs won’t be addressed overnight.
As the owner of M&H Taxi, Halladay believes he has good sense of the road needs in the city.
“It’s not going to be fixed (immediately), because previous councils have decided that we need to hold the line (on taxes), and I think that there are things that have to be dealt with first. Some of the roads need to be improved, but there are other areas that need to be given our attention.”
Halladay would also like to see more businesses coming into the city.
“I think there are lots of opportunities for that. And I think that it is something that has to be viable for the community and our area,” said Halladay. “With our access to the highways network, it is very appropriate to expand our business base.”
He has always taken an interest in the community, and council is a part of that. Halladay believes the mayor should be open-minded in determining what is best for the community over the next four years, and that is a trait that he said he will bring to the table.
