Councillor Lynn Chipley has decided to seek the top job on Estevan City Council.
Chipley filed her nomination papers for mayor on September 10. She'll be challenging another councillor, Roy Ludwig, who announced his intentions to run earlier this year.
Chipley was first elected to Council in 2006, and was re-elected in 2009.
Her theme in this year's election is to make Estevan a vibrant, safe and connected community. Estevan has a lot of positive things going for it, she said, but the vibrancy can be enhanced.
Safety and connection are tied to motorists reducing speeds, and the City creating more pathways for pedestrians.
"We have to just convince people to drive responsibly," said Chipley. "Especially in light of our non-connectedness. We still have too many places where people are walking, and it's not safe for them to walk."
Chipley is a believer in Estevan, but she believes that more needs to happen for Estevan to reach its potential.
"We have absolutely everything going for us," said Chipley. "We are the envy of every other jurisdiction in this country. We have the best economic climate we've ever had, and we're still selling ourselves short. We're still not getting as much done as we should to improve our city."
People are moving to Estevan for work, but she wants to see them remain in the city. Estevan needs to create an environment to make people feel at home. She doesn't want to see them return to Ontario, B.C. or the Maritimes once the economic boom ends.
There are challenges associated with infrastructure, she said, including roads, water and sewer mains, and even green spaces, but Chipley believes the needs of the city extend beyond those issues. She wants to see Council be more collaborative in their planning, and engage the business community and user groups more.
"It's going to take a lot of work," said Chipley. "It can't just be work by City Hall. It has to be work by all of the constituents in this area, by the residents, by the business community."
Chipley said that Ludwig has "given his heart and soul to the city" during the last 18 years, but she also said they have their differences in how they would operate the community.
Chipley, who is the owner of Century 21 Border Real Estate Service, said she'll be able to balance the demands of her business and the mayor's duties. The staff would be taking care of the listing and selling, while Chipley's role at Century 21 would be administrative.
