Nobody should be surprised that Roy Ludwig won't be seeking another term as mayor.
He'll have spent 12 years on the job when the next civic election occurs in November 2024. That's a long time in this day and age; in fact, the last time we had a mayor serve that long was Harry Nicholson in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
Ludwig also spent 18 years as a councillor before taking his first crack at becoming mayor, so he'll have spent 30 years on council. To put it in perspective, when next November hits, the six current councillors will have 32 years of service combined.
The other clue that Ludwig was likely retiring next year was attendance. He's missed a number of meetings this year while travelling. That's not to say his commitment to the community has waned, nor are we suggesting that he shouldn't have sought re-election in 2020, but he has spent more time outside the city since retiring from Westmoreland Mining LLC a little more than three years ago.
Regardless of what you think of the job he's done as mayor or the decisions that have been made during his time on council, you can't deny his commitment. Thirty years of service is laudable. And he managed to keep getting re-elected as both a councillor and mayor, usually with very comfortable margins, so he clearly was doing something right.
Now that we know Ludwig's time as mayor is entering its final months, our thoughts will turn to who might be his replacement, the traits the person should possess, the challenges that person will face, and the composition of the next council.
Each election brings change. Most years there will be at least a couple of new faces. This council has four first-time members. The council from 2016-2020 had three. But it's different when you have a new mayor. That person is the face of council and, to a certain extent, the city.
It's going to be a difficult and challenging time for the next mayor and council. It's certainly very different than when Ludwig became mayor. Those were boom times. The biggest challenges facing the community revolved around building housing and trying to catch up with the demands of a surging city.
The next mayor, and the next council, will have to chart a course while we continue to deal with transition. We're the Energy City. We're a city that's leaned heavily on oil, mining and coal-fired power production.
It's important for the next mayor, and the next council, to continue to advocate for what we have here when dealing with other levels of government, because we should be proud of our assets, but that next council also has to prepare for the day when those options face stricter regulations or are no longer available.
We've seen this present council and its predecessor work hard to diversify our economy, but it's time for things to materialize with only a few years remaining until 2030, when conventional coal-fired power generation is slated to come offline.
In addition to the traits associated with a mayor – a good work ethic, a listening ear and the willingness to put the best interests of the community at heart – the next mayor is going to have to be someone who can sell and promote our community. The new mayor is going to have to be someone that new councillors can turn to for guidance.
Regardless of who the next mayor is, it's going to be a weird feeling next November when council holds those first meetings and Ludwig isn't there. Not just from the mayoral perspective, but with council as a whole.
After all, 30 years in council chambers is a long time.
