Murray Parrott has officially resigned his councillor's position
Resigning Wednesday, Jan. 11, Parrott leaves his seat with the intention of running for the mayor's seat left vacant by former mayor Ron Forsman.
In order to be eligible for the mayor's race, Parrott had to resign his seat as councillor prior to Monday, Jan. 16, the date the mayoral election officially began with the opening of the candidate's registration period.
Parrott has said he wished to remain a part of council as long as possible prior to running for the mayor's seat so he could be privy to any in camera or information not yet available to the public regarding the town's operations.
With town council's final pre-byelection meeting occurring the night of Tuesday, Jan. 12, Parrott's resignation the next day allowed him to be part of the final meeting and in camera discussions any mayoral candidate would be eligible to take part in.
"I am committed to this community and believe strongly in building on the strengths we have, as well as addressing our challenges in a proactive and productive manner," Parrott said recently of his reasons for running for mayor. "I intend to lead with integrity and make a positive difference."
Senior elections official Darlene Gillies told The Neepawa Press recently Parrott's vacant councillor's seat will be contested in the upcoming byelection alongside the mayor's position.
With Parrott's announcement, the byelection for the councillor's seat will run on the same schedule as the mayor's. The registration period will run from Jan. 16-20, followed by a five-week campaigning period prior to the Feb. 28 election.
Working in the Parrott's favour will be his background with the current council's direction and daily operations.
Parrott, who grabbed the most votes of all councillors during the last election, has said he has been involved in issues surrounding the development of the CN property and addressing housing shortages.
The councillor has also said upgrades to Hwy 16, the Hospital, RCMP station, fire station, as well as the town's sewer and water need to be addressed, while the town needs to maintain and build on relationships with surrounding communities.
Residents and former mayors Bob Durston and Ken Waddell have announced their intent to run for the mayor's position as well.
Outgoing mayor Forsman resigned his position in early December citing personal health as being the contributing factor in his decision.