Peter Kelly not seeking reelection
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:20 pm
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HRM Mayor Peter Kelly will not be seeking re-election this fall, he announced Wednesday.
“I feel that, after 27 years of public service, I have made my contribution to the good of the community to the very best of my ability and it is time to seek new horizons,” he said.
Kelly said that he intends to complete his term.
“It has been a great privilege to be mayor of HRM," he said in a media release. "The residents were always the best part of this job and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their advice, their support and also for their forgiveness when I have made mistakes, and I have made my fair share.”
Kelly, 55, has faced questions about his handling of a friend's will. He was appointed executor of Mary Thibeault will in 2004, but many of the beneficiaries have not received their money.
Politics took toll on personal life
He did not attend council Tuesday night, raising questions about his future. He answered the questions Wednesday, saying he had made his decision not to re-offer on Tuesday, after consulting with his family.
“Being mayor has come with a cost,” he said. “Working more than 90 hours a week has taken its toll. My marriage has ended and it has been a strain on my family. I have always put the well being of the municipality first, but now it is time to give my family priority. I know that everyone will understand and respect my decision.”
Kelly acknowledged that there had been stumbles along the way, not least being the issue of his duties as executor.
“I am not making any excuses. Whatever problems have arisen have been because of my own tardiness and I am in the process of fulfilling her instructions,” he said. “Everything is accounted for and will be distributed according to her wishes.”
McCluskey 'disappointed' by news
Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey said she was "disappointed" to hear Kelly won't re-offer.
She said he had been "tardy" with his duties as an executor, but that overall he worked hard for the city and was given "a hard time" by a lot of people.