The city of Chestermere will have a new political leader this fall.
Mayor Patricia Matthews announced on Thursday she will not seek a fourth term in the position, which leads to a wide open race for the October election.
Citing some new career opportunities and a chance to spend more time with her husband Ian and two teenage daughters, Matthews feels she leaves behind a strong legacy in her decade as mayor, which followed a term on city council.
“There are so many of them,” said Matthews when asked what she’s most proud of in her time in the seat.
“Chestermere has grown so fast and it’s been phenomenal to be part of that. We’ve become a city. We have purchased our first ever light industrial park component. We’ve completed two (municipal development plans) in the time I’ve been here. We’ve grown the organization. We’ve had three years of taxes at zero in my tenure.
“But I’m most proud of the community Chestermere has become.”
Matthews and her family moved to Chestermere in 1998 and she became an active member of the community as a volunteer before running for council in 2004. Along with serving as mayor starting in 2007, she current sits on six different boards.
She won’t tip her hand as to what the future holds for her, but there is still six months left in her tenure and she doesn’t plan on resting on her laurels.
It’s her hope to hand over the office to the next mayor in great shape.
“I want to get everything done that still needs to be completed and make sure we have those processes in place that make transition easy,” Matthews said.
“There a lot of policies I want to get done. We have the growth management board coming up with the province. We want to make sure we have an idea of what that will look like going forward. These are policies we’ve been working on and want to make sure it’s right going forward.
“There’s nothing really onerous. Just a lot of it, which is typical for Chestermere.”
Matthews will leave office without losing an election here, which is a nice way to go out. There is still part of her that will miss being part of a campaign, although she was acclaimed in both 2010 and 2013.
“The community wins every time you have an election,” Matthews said. “You get new and interesting ideas and the chance to move forward. I will miss the process and experience but I’m excited about what the future holds.”
Leaving office will be a big thing for Matthews’ family, as her daughters have grown up with her leading the hectic life of a politician.
“They have always known me as the mayor,” Matthews said. “I’m sure it will be interesting for them to have me there when they have birthdays and we have anniversaries.
“It will be a new experience I’m very much looking forward to.”
