Even hours after his election as mayor, Mitch Hippsley said it had not quite hit him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 bizarre,鈥� he told Yorkton This Week, adding the morning after coming from behind on the advance poll ballots to edge opponent Aaron Kienle he was still coming to terms with it. He said he awoke realizing 鈥渁pparently I鈥檓 the mayor,鈥� adding 鈥渋t鈥檚 a great feeling.鈥�
Hippsley said he is excited by the potential of the current edition of Council, adding he has heard nothing but positives about newcomer Dustin Brears, and the remaining five have experience on their side.
鈥淭hey are people not afraid of challenges,鈥� he said.
But, the initial excitement was soon put on the backburner as Hippsley said he was already preparing to take on his new role on a full-time basis. He said he plans to be at City Hall daily from Monday to Friday, adding if he wants to continue his photography business he鈥檒l take those photos on weekends. He said his job now is as mayor.
And the work will begin immediately as there will be a 2021 budget to present and pass in the coming weeks.
The outgoing Council had already asked City Administration to bring a preliminary 2021 budget to Council with a two per cent increase, confirmed Hippsley, but he said now he hopes the new Council will entertain trimming the increase in 2021 to zero as he suggested in his campaign.
A move to zero, especially in 2021 is a cautious reaction to the potential impact of COVID-19, said Hippsley. While noting property tax submissions through September this year were at least on par with previous years even with the pandemic, he said the longer term affect is yet unknown so zero makes sense.
Also on the agenda for the new mayor is rebuilding a sense of co-operation between the new council and City Administration, a relationship that at times was strained in the last year, or two.
鈥淚 think we have to rebuild that relationship and the trust,鈥� said Hippsley who added Council and Administration are ultimately part of the same team working for the residents of Yorkton.
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