Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says he will not seek re-election in the upcoming municipal vote.
Eisenberger, the longest-serving mayor post amalgamation and on the job for three terms, says he wants to move on to the next chapter of his life.
“I have always done my best for the people of Hamilton, and as much as I have loved serving as your mayor, doing my best now requires that I not put my name on the ballot in the 2022 municipal election,” Eisenberger said in a release on Monday Morning.
The 70-year-old says the decision came during a trip overseas and a walk through his old neighbourhood in Amsterdam.
“On a purely personal level, I have come a long way, both literally and figuratively. I have enjoyed every step of the journey. But now is the time for the journey to go in another direction.”
The former real estate agent is coming off his second consecutive term as mayor after being re-elected in December 2014.
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Eisenberger admitted in his statement he was not sure he could put “100 per cent all the time” into the post which he suggests is the only way to do the job.
Despite being at retirement age, Eisenberger says he is “open to other opportunities.”
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Born in Amsterdam, Eisenberger moved to Canada when he was eight years old and attended Sir Winston Churchill School before graduating with honours from Mohawk College.
His political career included three terms as an alderman in Ward 5 from 1991 to 2000.
He would fail to secure the mayors job in his first bid during the 2000 municipal election finishing third and behind eventual winner Robert E. Wade.
He would take a shot at federal politics in the 2004 election running as MP for the Conservative Party in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek. He would lose out to Liberal Tony Valeri.
After securing his first term as Hamilton mayor in 2006, Eisenberger would be succeeded by Bob Bratina in 2010 following a campaign embroiled in friction over the location of a new stadium the mayor wanted built near the West Harbour.
During his time as Hamilton’s top politician, Eisenberger has been a proponent of reform in economic development with 2022 marking the first time the city has ever reached the $2 billion-dollar mark in annual construction.
He also navigated the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, voted against urban sprawl, endorsed transformation of the downtown entertainment precinct, and endured the cancellation and resurrection of the city’s 19 transit stop Light-Rail Transit (LRT) project.
Outgoing NDP leader and current MPP Andrea Horwath was one of several high profile politicians who posted their thanks to Eisenberger for his years of service to the city.
“Leadership isn’t easy, and Hamilton has seen its share of challenges over the last few years,” Horwath said in a statement.
“But as MPP for Hamilton Centre, I have been able to count on Fred to be the kind of mayor that will always pick up the phone.”
As of June 20, former Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina, former chamber of commerce exec Keanin Loomis and former head of the taxi drivers’ union Ejaz Butt have currently filed papers and are nominees to be mayor in the 2022 campaign.
Candidates have until August 19 to enter the race. The municipal election is on October 24.
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