North Kent Coun. Leon Leclair has announced he is not going to seek re-election in Ward 4.
Leclair made the announcement in a letter sent to the media on Friday.
“I wish to announce that I will not be running in the next municipal election,” Leclair wrote.
“I want to thank my wife and family first for sticking by my side during the last eight years, and, secondly to my staff at the farm for going above and beyond while I was called away to attend municipal affairs, without them my business surely would have suffered.”
Leclair said he fought hard to help keep costs in line with rural bridges.
“(I) was the only full time farmer on council and agriculture is a $3-billion industry in Chatham-Kent. I felt the pressure of trying to ‘Ag-vacate’ for this industry all the time.
Leclair said not all the farmers agreed with his decisions over the past two terms.
“I am proud that all my voting decisions were decided on merit and not if I would be popular the next day, I promised myself if I ever hesitated on voting because I was worried about being popular, I would step down, proud to say this is not the reason I am stepping aside,” Leclair said.
“With me stepping aside this will give the opportunity for another community minded person(s) to step up, I will miss the meetings with the movers and shakers, you will always have my respect for what you try and do to make this community better.”
Leclair said he is proud of the fact that at every council meeting, council voted for what was best for the 100,000 plus constituents of Chatham-Kent.
“Not like other levels of government where they voted for the party line,” he said.
“A lot of my reasoning for stepping aside has to do with the provincial policies enforced on us.”
Some examples Leclair gave, included: no control over green energy, mainly windmills; and the Endangered Species Act, which has its policies drawn up in Toronto, with no local input and carries a great financial burden.
“I have up to 10 business plans on my desk needing my undivided attention and I don’t believe it’s fair to either my constituents or my business and family to continue and try and do both,” Leclair said.
“One item at the top of my list is to bounce my grand kids on my knee and that folks is very important to me.”
Leclair was the top vote getter in North Kent during the past two elections, gathering 2,668 votes in 2014 and 2,103 in 2010.
Tupperville’s Dylan McLay is the only candidate to put their name forward so far in North Kent – Ward 4.
Current North Kent Coun. Joe Faas has yet to state his intentions.
Election day is October 22, 2018.
