Using some time at the end of the meeting of Weyburn City Council on May 27th, Mel Van Betuw, first elected to city council in 2012, announced he would not be seeking re-election.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of Weyburn for letting me represent them the last 12 years, and as such, I won’t be running for re-election in the fall,” he said at the time. This morning, Van Betuw stopped in at Discover Weyburn to talk more about his decision to not have his name on the ballot when the municipal election is held in November.
“For me, I felt it was time for me to step down, have a person with new ideas and a different perspective than mine,” Van Betuw said. “Being on council is a commitment not to be taken lightly, and I believe I never did. It was a priority in my day-to-day life, and it was time for me to free up some time for more leisurely things in my life.”
In his tenure so far with Weyburn City Council, Van Betuw has been a part of some big moments. For him, though, there is one in particular that stands out.
“Probably the Spark Centre is probably the biggest highlight,” Van Betuw shared. “It happened in collaboration with (South East) Cornerstone School Division, and it’s turned into a beautiful facility for the city that I think draws in lots of people from outside the community, and is the talk in several other communities.”
There have also been some behind-the-scenes changes Van Betuw has been a part of, including the changing of the guard, in his words, of the senior management at City Hall. He noted those who have recently stepped into many of the roles are enthusiastic and understand the needs of the city, as well as its capabilities.
“We have a great vision and desire for Weyburn to be the best it can be, and I think I’ve been part of that process where we’ve changed admin, and I think we’ve brought in some very young, energetic people.”
While he will be leaving the position when his term ends later this year, there are things he will miss.
“I’ve created a lot of friendships with different council members, meeting with and discussing different items with administration, being part of several committees,” Van Betuw said. “I’m going to miss being part of the community, but I don’t plan on totally stepping aside from that, you know. I’ll get involved in some other areas of the community.”
The municipal election will be held on November 13th.