Trail’s chief administrator has paid tribute to the outgoing city council for conducting themselves professionally and treating “staff, the community, and each other with respect and dignity.”
Colin McClure addressed council this week, at their last meeting before the next council is sworn in on Nov. 9. He said they “set a very high bar for governance.”
“As you now know, it’s not an easy job being an elected official,” he said. “Thankless in a lot of ways. It’s a steep learning curve. There’s a great deal of information that you are provided with and you need to make a decision. And some of those decisions aren’t an easy yes or no either way that you go.
“And yet this council has consistently had the courage to make the decisions. And even in situations where you may not have agreed with the decision that was approved, you all stuck together and stood up for each other and went forward when that decision was made. And the community is better for that.”
The fate of only one of the seven council members is already determined: Doug Wilson isn’t seeking another term. Fellow councillors Bev Benson, Paul Butler, and Thea Hanson are all running for re-election. Incumbent mayor Colleen Jones is also running for re-election, challenged by councillors Nick Cashol and Terry Martin. So there will be at least three new faces on the next council.
McClure said he was grateful for the support and trust that council placed in him and other city staff.
He said even though serving on council is a tough job and comes with a significant time commitment, he is pleased six out seven members are hoping to continue on. He added council should be proud of its track record, for asking tough questions, challenging staff when necessary, and holding them accountable for their work.
Mayor Colleen Jones also offered her thanks.
“It’s been quite a four years for all of us,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of good times and a lot of laughs around this table, but we’ve also worked really hard through some very difficult issues. We’ve had some really difficult days as well. We haven’t always agreed, but that’s part of the job.”
Jones said she is proud of her council, staff, and community.
“Whatever happens after this election, I will always be grateful for everything that we accomplished together. And to the people of Trail, I want to thank them for trusting us to serve the community that we all care so deeply about.”
Voting day is Oct. 17. In addition to the current members of council who are running again, there is one more mayoral candidate (Karl Kuepper) and seven other council candidates (Mark Buckley, Sarah Bullock, Diana Dickieson, Paul Harvey, Sheldon Hicks, Glenn Hodge, and Gary Stuart).
