One of toughest decisions for a politician

THURSDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Kelowna Mayor Water Gray announced this week he won’t be running for another term.

Many people in Kamloops don’t know Walter Gray but he served four terms as the mayor of his city, and our two cities have had a lot to talk about over the years.

Gray has been a pro-business, mainstream kind of a mayor. During his times as mayor (after a term out of office, he ran again in 2011 and defeated the incumbent), there have been ups and downs in the economy that have affected what cities were able to do.

Deciding when to leave office is no easy thing for politicians. Sometimes, of course, that decision is made for them by the electorate, but for those with political longevity, it’s a very tough thing.

Much has to be taken into consideration — family, finances, health, age, interests outside politics, for example. Sometimes, these things simply conflict, no matter how dedicated a person might be to community service or how much enjoyment one gets from political involvement.

Even when it’s obviously the right decision, and when there’s a feeling of unburdening and anticipation of pursuing other interests, there’s regret at having to leave behind that part of your life — especially the people you’ve worked with on issues and projects that you feel have resulted in positive change for the electorate.

In making his announcement that he won’t run again, Gray said he feels satisfied with the progress Kelowna has made on a number of fronts. It’s good when a politician can leave office confident that things have been accomplished, but it’s a difficult decision nonetheless.