There will be no run for the Halifax mayor’s seat in Peter Kelly’s near future.
Charlottetown city council voted Tuesday to appoint Kelly the new Chief Administrative Officer for the city, effective May 1, 2016.
The former mayor recently moved back to the Halifax area after wrapping up his job as CAO for Westlock County in Alberta, a post he held from 2014 to earlier this year.
That triggered speculation that he might run for his old job during this fall’s municipal elections.
Last year, an online campaign was launched urging Kelly to return to Halifax to run for mayor in 2016.
At the time, Kelly was coy about his intentions.
“If I was to run, it would certainly be to either complete or bring forward new initiatives,” he said. “But that’s a discussion to be had sometime in the future.”
A statement today from the City of Charlottetown said 57 applications were received, with 15 candidates being interviewed. A hiring committee narrowed that list to two final candidates and council made the final decision together.
“After a rigorous interview process involving Island Recruiting and a hiring committee made up of members of council, Mr. Peter Kelly was chosen based on his years of extensive experience, both as an administrator and politician,” said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee.
Long political career
Peter Kelly was first elected town Councillor in Bedford in 1985.
He was elected Mayor and CEO of the Town of Bedford in 1991, a position he held until municipal amalgamation in 1996.
Kelly served one term as a Councillor in the new Halifax Regional Municipality, and was elected mayor of Halifax in 2000.
In February 2012, Kelly announced he would not seek re-election. The decision was made after a string of scandals, including his duties as executor of the will of his late friend, Mary Thibeault.
READ MORE: Peter Kelly reaches settlement over will with Thibeault heirs
The news of Kelly’s appointment comes on the same day a poll by Corporate Research Associates shows strong support for current Mayor Mike Savage.
A new poll found 72 per cent of respondents in the Halifax area believe Savage should run again for office this year. Roughly one in six – or 17 per cent – said he should not re-offer. About 12 per cent said they did not know or did not have an opinion.
Support for the current municipal government is high (70 per cent), and has increased since the last poll three months ago (64 per cent).
The survey results were part of the CRA Urban Report, which included a survey of 400 Halifax residents, 18 years of age or older. It was conducted between February 1 and February 14, 2016. Results are accurate to within +/- 4.9 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.
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