I will not be running again in the 2021 civic election.
There. Got that out of the way. Can’t accuse me of burying the lede.
It’s not an easy decision, this. I’ve given it a proper think over the past couple of years.
I will miss it dearly. It’s been the privilege of my life to sit on city council.
Roxanne, Amy, Rachael, Rebecca, Kalie and Sydney were teammates in the Ward 6 office. I will miss them more than I will miss being a city councillor.
I will miss being invited to community events and meeting the unsung citizens whose work or volunteering makes Edmonton, well, Edmonton.
I will miss working with so many committed civil servants, who bring their talent and humility to the job every day.
I will miss the Hallway bistro, formerly Kids in the Hall. Best. Scones. Ever. They once even named a pizza after me! Best. Pizza. Ever.
I will miss some city council members and I will miss you, the constituents who challenged me, chastised me and, yes, occasionally praised me. The vast, vast majority of you simply want a better Edmonton to call home. I love that about you.
Me? I’m still not sure I have, or had the right stuff to be a politician. I live and lived these past few years with a chronic case of impostor syndrome. Over time, the burden of responsibility became oh so heavy.
Might this decision, to retire from politics, be something I come to regret in coming years? Oh, probably. But it’s not like I’m going to stop being engaged and involved.
Nor will we in the Ward 6 office abandon Edmontonians — who are figuratively and literally sick of the pandemic — in the remaining months of the term.
Which makes me think: Perhaps I did bury the lede. Your collective physical, mental and financial health is by far the most important thing right now for us in the Ward 6 office.
So please stay safe and be well. Mask up. Distance. Sanitize. Please know that better times are ahead
So is a civic election, slated for the fall.
I’ll bring the popcorn.
By Scott McKeen, City Councillor Ward 6