Kensington mayor back on the ballot

A few months ago Rowan Caseley was saying nine years on council and four years as mayor of Kensington, P.E.I., was enough, but now he's decided to re-offer in November's election.

Caseley had personal reasons for leaving municipal politics behind.

"I was having health problems at the time and I didn't know what the future held. That's behind me now," Caseley told Island Morning's Mitch Cormier during a remote broadcast from the town.

"I was encouraged by several people to reconsider my position and I thought about it a long time."

Caseley said people have appreciated the progress the town has made in the last four years. An empty lot at the main intersection has been redeveloped with a collection of fast food restaurants, and there is a new independent restaurant in the downtown as well.

Caseley is not willing, however, to take all the credit.

"I just happened to be mayor at the time when council and the staff and everybody has been able to make things work," he said.

Setting priorities

Looking ahead, Caseley said a new business park will be a priority for him if he is re-elected.

"Our current business park is full," he said.

"I'd like to see another business park. We have requests for lots in a business park every year. There's a few every year, and we basically have to say our lots are all gone."

Municipal amalgamation has been a hot topic in P.E.I.'s smaller communities in the last few years, and is expected to be in the coming years as well.

But Caseley said absorbing communities around Kensington is not high on his priority list.

"It's not something I look forward to leading any charge on," he said.

"If some of the other communities want to talk we're more than willing to sit down and listen and talk and see whether there's any synergies or anything that's beneficial."

Caseley said he understands residents outside of Kensington are probably not keen to pay higher taxes, and said any growth of the town would necessarily mean more people in town administration, and that money would have to come from somewhere.

Caseleyis currently the only person to declare for Kensingtonmayor. Municipal elections across P.E.I. will be held Nov. 5.

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With files from Island Morning