Edmonton mayor won’t run again
The mayor of Edmonton says he won’t seek re-election next fall.
Don Iveson, who first became mayor in 2013, says that he had only ever hoped to serve two terms as leader of the Alberta capital.
“It is an incredible honour, and a humbling duty, to serve as your mayor and I am thankful for every day I get to serve our community,” Iveson, 41, said during a news conference Monday.
He said it was a family decision not to run again and noted he has “no specific plans” once his time as mayor is finished.
Iveson said he will spend his final year on city council working to help Edmontonians affected by COVID-19 and to deal with the economic challenges that come with the pandemic.
He said he’s also working to deliver a city budget with a goal of no tax increase, support and attract new jobs to the city, tackle systemic racism in local institutions, and deliver more low-cost housing to end chronic homelessness.
“There is much to do, and not everything will be resolved by the election.”
Iveson said Edmonton’s next leader will need to be thoughtful, compassionate and constructive - and he wanted to give those types of people enough time to consider a run.
Three city councillors have said publicly that they are thinking about it. A fourth person, selfdescribed tech-sector leader Cheryll Watson, has already declared her intention to vie for the top job in 2021
Iveson has been a member of Edmonton city council since 2007 and has been the chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big City Mayors’ Caucus since 2016.
“We’ve been so lucky at FCM to work with (Don Iveson) ... a relentless advocate for stronger, healthier (and) more equitable communities,” the organization said in a tweet Monday.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to work with you over the rest of your term as mayor.”