Saskatoon Ward 8 Coun. Sarina Gersher not seeking re-election

Another Saskatoon city councillor has decided not to run in November’s civic election.

Ward 8 Coun. Sarina Gersher said it wasn’t an easy decision, and there wasn’t one specific reason that brought her to the decision. Rather, it was a combination of factors.

“I feel I’ve been able to come to this role 100 per cent for each term and give 100 per cent of myself,” she said.

Part of the reason for making her announcement so early was to give any future candidates an opportunity and enough time to lay a foundation for a campaign.

Over the last eight years, Gersher said she has seen her ward — which includes Brevoort Park, Briarwood, Brighton, College Park, East College Park, Greystone Heights, Hillcrest Management Area, Holmwood and Wildwood — change a lot. That was especially true for one particular area.

“When I was first elected, there was nobody living in Brighton, and I’d say that’s probably been the neighbourhood with the most significant amount of change over the eight years,” she said.

Gersher says she’s most proud of future city planning like bus rapid transit and corridor planning, along with climate initiatives.

“Having our low-emission community plan, having a water conservation strategy (and a) green infrastructure strategy, all of those pieces are really foundational, I think, for a growing city,” she said.

Working in a political environment can be tough at times, which for Gersher included getting the city through the COVID pandemic.

“Whether that was the fatigue of being in a pandemic addressing the fiscal challenges (or) having uncertainty about what the impacts are going to be … those were some pretty significant challenges,” she said.

Despite that, Gersher said everyone she has worked with cares deeply for the city, and she’s grateful to have commitment from her constituents to come to the table and work together.

“I have been so grateful that neighbours in Ward 8 have put their trust in me for eight years, and it’s incredibly humbling,” she said.

Gersher also hoped that if there was someone interested in running for city council that they do so, but that they also recognize the significant impact that council decisions make on residents.

In late January, Mayor Charlie Clark announced he would not be seeking re-election again. Then, in mid-March, Ward 3 Coun. David Kirton announced he would not run a second time.