'The privilege of my life': Mike Savage won't run for another term as Halifax mayor

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage says he will not runfor a fourth term in the upcoming municipal election this fall.

The 63-year-old, who has been mayor since 2012, made the announcementTuesday at Halifax City Hall in a tearful speech where he called the mayorship "the best job I ever had."

"It was a difficult decision, but it passes the testthat my mother gave me more than 20 years ago: 'Is it a decision that sits comfortably in both your head and your heart?' And it does."

Savage said he would continue his work as mayor for the next eight months and would be willing to meet with anyone who's consideringrunning forthe positionto offer his insights.

"Twelve years is long enough. It's time for me to plan for life after being mayor," Savage said. "I don't know what that will be, but I know there is something else."

Savage said he wanted to leave on his own terms, and go out at a time when he likely could win again.

He also said he was proud to have served with his colleagues in municipal council andworked in a growing city that has become younger and more diverse over the years.

"Thank you to the residents of our communityfor giving me the enormous honourof serving it," he said at the end of his speech. "It has been the privilege of my life."

While Savage said he loved being mayor, he doesn't see longevity as a mark of success in politics rather, "what the hell did you do when you had the chance to do something?"

Savage said he's proud that during his tenure,Halifax's downtown has seen developmentand the city broughtin a tax to fund climate change adaptation.

He also spoke aboutimproved relationships with the Mi'kmaw community. Savage said a key moment was council's decision to remove the statue and street name of Halifax's controversial founder Edward Cornwallis, who issued a bounty against Mi'kmaw men, women and children.

But the city's growth has come amid a housing and affordability crisis, with a rising number of people sheltering in city parks and other encampment sites.

Savage said the city's growth and success has positioned it to better support those who are homeless, and he plans to work on the issue for the next eight months alongside the province.

"I would like to think that my career in politics would be based on taking care of people, taking care of the planet, and then allowing people to do well at the same time," Savage said.

Hisdecision means there will be an open race for the mayor's seat.

Coun.Waye Mason has long said he would consider running when Savage stepped down. But on Tuesday,he said now was not the right time for that conversation.

"When Mike got elected,Halifax was a bit of a mess and he brought a lot of confidence and swagger back to the city, and Ithink he really has to be applauded for that," Mason said after the announcement. "It's going to be hard to imagine what the city will be like when he's gone."

Coun. Pam Lovelace said she's considering a run for mayor, but hasn't made a decision yet.

There have been rumours about Halifax MP Andy Fillmore running for the job since last fall when he stepped away from his duties as Parliamentary secretary for the federal minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. At the time, he posted to social media that he wantedto focus his "undivided attention on Halifax."

Savage boosted Halifax's prosperity: Fillmore

When asked about the possibility of runningon Tuesday, Fillmore's office pointed to his statement on X, formerly known as Twitter,thanking Savage for his years of service.

As mayor, Savage "turned our municipality toward prosperity, moving us closer to the promise of our potential," Fillmore wrote.

Savage was first elected mayor in 2012, and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020.

Prior to municipal politics, heserved as MP for the federal riding of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour from 2004 until 2011, when he was defeated by NDP candidate Robert Chisholm.