Greg Hoffort spent more than a decade as the administrator of the RM of Estevan; now he's trying to return to municipal politics by running for Estevan City Council.

Hoffort stepped down as the RM's administrator last year to become the CEO of St. Joseph's Hospital. He said he wouldn't have been able to run for Council when he was with the RM, but now that he has changed careers, he has an opportunity to run for City Council.

“Seeking an election to Council is something that's always been of interest to me, and the time seemed right in many ways to put some of my experience to use to benefit the community, if I were to be elected,” said Hoffort.

He believes his experience at the RM will help him if he's elected to Council, as he has knowledge of management's perspective.

He has also been involves with such committees as the clean coal coalition, the new arena committee, the new nursing home committee and the committee that led to Creighton Lodge being purchased by a consortium of RMs.

“They've all been successful, each in their own right, and certainly not because of one person, but because of an absolutely dedicated teamwork approach that the members of those committees put forth,” said Hoffort.

Growth does bring challenges, he said, particularly with an infrastructure deficit that needs to be addressed, while being mindful of the budget. It will take a team of dedicated City employees will have to carry out the agenda established by Council.

But there are tremendous opportunities for growth in the next four years and beyond, Hoffort said. A lot of people in Canada are paying close attention to what is happening in Estevan due to the strength of the oil economy, and the progress that is happening with clean coal and carbon capture and sequestration programs.