Coun. Jamie Hirtle has resigned from the Town of Saint Andrews council.
“Obviously, this was an extraordinarily difficult decision for me to make,” he said, speaking to the council via Zoom. “For those of you who know me, Saint Andrews is always going to be my home.”
He said he felt it was an honour to be able to serve the community.
“The privilege is not going to be lost on me,” he said.
Hirtle mused about returning to Saint Andrews, joking retirement isn’t too far away, but said sometimes an individual has to follow their career and make a choice.
“I consider all of you at this table family,” he said. “I cannot say enough about the influence you’ve all had on me over the last four years and what you’ve opened me up to over the last four years.”
Council thanks Hirtle for service
Acting Mayor Kate Akagi thanked Hirtle for his time on the council, adding it appreciated his perspectives.
Coun. Kurt Gumushel thanked Hirtle for giving a lot of his free time to the council over the last four years.
“A hometown boy, he brought fresh perspectives from Toronto in a helpful way,” he said. “And always spoke with integrity, honesty and empathy. It has been an honour to serve with him these past four years.
No byelection for position
It comes five months after Hirtle stopped attending the council meetings in-person, attending only virtually, apart from one meeting during that time frame.
He was first elected to the council in 2021, serving just shy of the five-year expanded term for municipal councils in New Brunswick.
Hirtle told Brunswick News back in April he was “pursuing an opportunity in my career” that requires travel back and forth from Halifax, but that he is still a resident and homeowner in Saint Andrews.
He told BNI that if the situation became permanent or he sold his house in Saint Andrews, he would resign.
“When this was on the table, I reviewed my options with town staff and the mayor and determined a path forward that abided by the rules of serving on council,” Hirtle said by email to the Telegraph-Journal in April. “I remain committed to the town where I live and was raised.”
Under the provisions of the Local Governance Act, a council seat becomes vacant under three conditions: if the councillor ceases to be a resident, they are absent from four straight meetings or are not in town for two months. Those attending virtually are counted as present under the Saint Andrews procedural bylaw.
Brad Henderson also resigned earlier this month, citing a desire to spend more time with family. Due to a scheduled general election next year, and because both resigned within a year of it, there will be no byelection held.
The council is undergoing a reduction in the number of councillors that sit around the chamber, reducing it from nine to six. The change has not been formally voted on by the council.
A general election is scheduled for May 2026.