Nanaimo’s mayor has had a change of heart two days after he said he wouldn’t be running for re-election in 2018.
On Tuesday, Bill McKay told CTV News that he wasn’t planning on seeking re-election because he was fed up with ongoing drama at city hall.
But on Thursday, McKay clarified that statement, saying he enjoys being the city’s mayor and would like to do it again.
“The fact was that I said no, I would not run if it was today,” said McKay. “I also said I needed to speak to my family, we needed to have a bigger conversation about this and I also needed to see what the next 14 months brought.”
He said he’ll reserve his decision on whether to run again until closer to the end of his term.
McKay said his biggest disappointment in the past two-and-a-half years is the turmoil and conflict within council.
“The most difficult thing for my family has been to watch what I’ve had to go through, by constant attack, particularly when it comes from within city hall,” he said.
This week a petition was launched online by a group of citizens demanding that council either get along or resign.
It also asked them to sign a code of conduct and to refrain from public outbursts or mudslinging on social media.
