Rebecca Mersereau has decided that one term on Saanich council is enough.
The 38-year-old put a lot of thought into her decision, but ultimately decided that time spent at her municipal duties and working in general should be curtailed.
And as she evaluated what direction her life would be taking, she ended up determining that a return to her home province of New Brunswick with her partner would be the best move.
That is because working less is a hard thing to do given the cost of living in the capital region, Mersereau said, and life in New Brunswick is “a little more affordable.”
The move east will come after the end of the municipal term. The municipal elections are on Oct. 15. “It’s feeling bittersweet at the moment but I know it’s the best decision for me,” she said.
Mersereau said her time on council has been a good experience overall, but also challenging. “There is a really significant learning curve,” she said. “The subject matter is so vast in local government, and also just learning how things work and the steps you need to take as an elected official to get things done takes a bit of sitting and watching and learning to figure out.”
In a statement posted on Facebook, Mersereau — who has also served as vice-chairwoman of the Capital Regional District and chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission and the Saanich active transportation advisory committee — said her elected roles are “no longer consistent with my personal needs and well-being.”
“I guess I realized that I need to spend less time working and more time with friends and family and loved-ones, doing things for myself,” she said.
Outside of her elected job, Mersereau works “very full-time” as a consultant in such things as water management. “It leaves not enough time for the other things.”
She said she can see herself getting back into politics down the road, “but probably not in the near future.”
“I think I will need some time to decompress and think about how to emphasize some of the other things in life.”
She said the job of a municipal councillor can be quite difficult for working-age people to balance.
Mersereau said she favoured four-year terms at first for the stability they could bring, but now sees four years as a very long commitment.
“I fear that is a barrier for some people who would consider getting involved.”
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