After 26 years, Okotoks’ mayor is stepping away from municipal politics.
Bill Robertson announced May 7 he will not be running in the 2021 municipal election. He has served as mayor for the past three terms, and spent 15 years (five terms) as councillor prior to taking the top seat.
“It’s time to move on to new adventures,” said Robertson of his decision. “It’s been rewarding, humbling, and I like to think that the community is in a much better place than it was 26 years ago in terms of we’ve coped with tremendous growth.”
He said some of his proudest achievements include launching Okotoks Transit and the current 89 kilometres of pedestrian pathways and recreation in Okotoks.
“I’d like to think I’ve been part of advocating for that, for an extensive, interconnected pathway system throughout the town, and in particular tying in the river valley and protecting the river valley,” said Robertson.
As mayor, he also spent several years pushing at every angle alongside fellow councillors to solve the Town’s water issue, and achieving a joint solution with Foothills County last summer.
Robertson was part of Town council during two major decision that would impact the future of the community: the introduction of the finite growth model in 1998 and the subsequent move to a continuous growth model in 2012.
“It was pretty daunting. There were many people on both sides of the issue at both junctures,” said Robertson. “You can never keep everybody happy, but certainly taking all the information possible that we had at the time and trying to make a decision on what was best for the future of the community, that was certainly a little stressful but I like to think we’ve come through it okay.”
There have been moments of pride on council as the Town received awards and accolades for some of its work, including a recent pronouncement as one of the most fiscally-responsible municipalities in the country by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, he said.
He attributed the recognition to prudent financial planning and careful work by council and Okotoks administration.
With 26 years of successes and learning moments under his belt, Robertson is now looking forward to taking on new challenges outside of municipal politics.
His roots in town are deep, with three sons and their families all living in Okotoks and involvement in service clubs and other groups dedicated to the community. He plans to continue working for the community through those memberships.
“I will still be involved with the Okotoks Kiwanis Club,” said Robertson. “All of the benefits that has for our community – in particular for those that perhaps are a little more disadvantaged than the average citizen.”
Robertson was a long-time teacher in Okotoks at Percy Pegler School. The gymnasium at the school, where he was a physical education teacher, is named after him.
When pandemic restrictions ease and borders open up, he said there is travel on the horizon for him with his wife, Elaine. They have taken holidays in southeast Asia and South America in the past, but plan to see more of the world.
“The whole world is a book, and if you don’t travel you only see one page,” said Robertson.
He encouraged anyone considering a run for council to bite the bullet and give it a shot.
There are many benefits to being an Okotoks councillor, he said. Every turn brings a new opportunity to learn.
“I’ve certainly gained insight into the way people think, the way peoples’ expectations can change over time,” said Robertson. “I’ve learned as much, maybe more, from the job than I contributed.
“Anybody who thinks they have something to contribute to the Town, to the betterment of the Town, that is open-minded and willing to look at all sides of the issues and has common sense, I encourage them to think about putting their hat into the ring and running for Town council.”
