ESTEVAN — 2024 will be the final year on Estevan city council for Mayor Roy Ludwig.
Ludwig confirmed last week in a phone call with the Mercury and SaskToday that he would not seek another term as mayor in the 2024 civic election. Ludwig has been at the helm of Estevan city council since the 2012 vote, and prior to that, he served as a councillor from 1994-2012, which means he will have spent 30 years on council when he retires.
His 12 years as mayor give him the longest consecutive tenure in Estevan since Harry Nicholson in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
"I've enjoyed serving the city of Estevan as first of all a councillor and then mayor. It's been a … great privilege to be able to do that. But now after 30 years of serving the people of Estevan, I feel it's probably time to move onto other things, and spend more time with my wife, with my family and with my grandkids."
He expects that he will also spend more time travelling.
Ludwig said he gave the decision to retire from city politics a lot of thought. He has enjoyed the challenges that have come council's way over the past 30 years, as well as the chance to work with the different staff, the opportunity to serve with the other council members and the time he spent with previous mayors.
"I think it's time to step aside and let someone with a new vision – probably a younger person … with fresh ideas – to take over and have the willingness to do the very best they can for their community," said Ludwig.
He believes those in municipal politics have a greater contact with the people they represent. The MLA for Estevan has other communities to represent besides the Energy City and spends much of their time in Regina, while the MP for Souris-Moose Mountain has a vast area to cover and has to travel to Ottawa.
"People come in off the street if they have an issue," said Ludwig. "They talk to you. You're truly in touch with the people you represent," said Ludwig.
As for his replacement, he knows of a couple of people on council who are interested in stepping into the mayor's role.
"I think it's very helpful and advantageous for people with experience on how council runs to run for the mayor position. People … have run for the mayor without having prior experience, but I believe it's a disadvantage to be dropped into the mayor's chair with no experience," he said.
In his final year on council, Ludwig hopes the city can complete as much infrastructure work as possible and pay down the city's debt. If there is a high debt load, it means more taxpayer dollars will be sent in that direction.
At this point, Ludwig said he's pretty comfortable about the decision to retire, and he doesn't foresee a situation that would cause him to change his mind.
Ludwig retired from the local coal mines in 2021 following a 45-year career. From 2012-2021, he balanced his duties at city hall with his mining career.
The next civic election is scheduled to take place on Nov. 13, 2024.
