Mayor Ron Woytowich (middle, bottom row) is not running for re-election. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Municipal Politics

Woytowich reflects on mayorship, endorses candidate for top spot

Nov 4, 2020 | 2:56 PM

Even though he was on the losing end of several decisions made by La Ronge council, Mayor Ron Woytowich doesn’t regret any of his votes during the last four years.

“We should have worked together more and I think we could have worked together more, but in my honest opinion, its right wing versus left wing,” he said. “There’s nothing as mayor I could do and, quite frankly, as mayor you find out your role is to chair the meeting and you can’t even speak.”

As the top representative for the town, on many occasions Woytowich was forced to defend council decisions he wasn’t in favour of. Some of his voting record includes being against a $1.2 million enhanced RCMP contract, as well as declining to support a bylaw to restrict the sale of alcohol and cannabis.

Woytowich also voted against a controversial land deal in the Industrial Park and he voted in favour of a public health exemption to allow non-critical travel into La Ronge during the coronavirus pandemic back in April.

“I don’t see any extra policing, I really don’t,” he said. “The truth is the RCMP will always provide services. They would have provided all those services anyway. There were members of council who thought this would be like a small-town police force and we were going to tell them what to do.”

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In regards to the alcohol and cannabis bylaw, Woytowich believes the town shouldn’t have gone beyond what’s already in force by the provincial government. He said jobs were ultimately lost and visitors to La Ronge are affected as well.

When Woytowich was elected mayor back in 2016, he narrowly won the seat with 311 votes against Joe Hordyski’s 304. The first task council set out to do was freeze the water rates, which were going to increase from around $50 to $170 per month by 2019. Woytowich noted the water rates have remained frozen since he took office.

“It just proves someone was really doing something wrong,” he said. “You can’t say you need a big pot of money in case we have to do repairs. We’re always doing repairs in the community and that is largely based on government grants.”

Another major event during Woytowich’s mayorship was a stroke he suffered back in October 2018. Determined to keep his seat on council, he only missed two regular council meetings because he was in the hospital. Woytowich has mostly recovered, but he still occasionally has trouble remembering the names of people and communities.

With the last regular council meeting for Woytowich last week, there are still duties he will need to attend to until another mayor is elected Nov. 9. He’ll spend some of that time signing cheques, taking phone calls and other responsibilities as they arise.

And as for who he’s going to vote for to replace him as mayor, Woytowich is throwing his support behind Coun. Glen Watchel. Woytowich stated Watchel is a well-rounded decision maker who would make a good fit for the top spot on council.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno