Mayor Don Darling says the theme for 2020 will be all about "restructuring." (Danielle McCreadie)
The mayor of Saint John says 2019 was a turning point for the city.
Don Darling says this past year saw council and city staff work harder than ever before to get the city’s finances back on track, from a new financial sustainability report to looking closely at service cuts.
In a year-end interview, Darling says the city still has a ways to go, but council finally has a focused plan.
“I think 2019 has been a transformative year that’s been really summed up by boldness and a council that put its eye on a really bright, sustainable future,” he said.
Darling says he’s proud of the work council did in 2019, and is excited to get back to work.
Darling is also proud of the citizens of Saint John for their kindness and hope.
“I’m proud of this community. This is a community where people are kind and generous and we’ve got so much to celebrate. That’s what keeps me going is that our future is very bright, we just have to have the discipline and the focus and the guts to stick to the plan,” he said.
Looking forward to 2020, Darling says the city’s focus will be set on growth, fiscal responsibility, and reforms.
“We desperately need the provincial government to keep its word and to act on things like comprehensive tax reform and the other reforms that we need,” he said.
Darling says the first 90 days of the New Year will be extremely busy.
“Making the final decisions for the restructuring of our budgets and our deficit, the results of an operational audit…the results of the regional collaboration work, organizational, structural reviews, reviews of agencies, boards, commissions and so forth, and then, of course, we roll right into an election,” he said.
As for if he plans on running in next spring’s election, Darling says he hasn’t made a decision yet, but it’s one he won’t make lightly.
“It’ll be a big decision, I’ll certainly be chatting with my family and others but you know, I could see a lot of benefit to continuity of leadership. I know the files, I know the city very well, so I certainly could see a lot of benefit to another term,” he said.
From Political To Personal
Darling admits 2019 has been his most challenging year in office yet.
“Personally I’d say I’m tired. I’m also very hopeful and energized for early in January so we can get back to work,” he said.
Along with the city’s growth, Darling says he’s seen personal growth in the past year, as he manages a difficult workload with other priorities like family.
One of the biggest backlashes Darling faced in 2019 was his use of social media, which led to Code of Conduct complaints from a group of citizens.
Darling says using social media is important to him as a public figure and elected official.
“Social media is complicated for people today, it’s complicated for elected officials, for teens, so as a result, it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time to keep that kind of presence on social media, but I think it’s been an important engagement tool,” he said.
“There are people in Saint John and in Greater Saint John that are more informed about the reality of where we are…so I think there are more pluses than there are minuses but I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you it was exhausting at times.”
Mental and physical health are top of mind for Darling as he heads into 2020. He says he hopes to continue to be an advocate for mental health and be open and honest about his own struggles.
He’s also tasked himself with a New Year’s goal.
“I set a goal to finish my term as mayor at the same physical weight that I started. I’ve got about 10 pounds to go. Now I’ve said it publicly I have to meet my goal.”
