With the 2012 municipal election roughly six months away, the members of Estevan city council are mulling over whether or not they will run for re-election.

The Mercury spoke with all six current councillors to learn of their plans for when voters in Estevan go to the polls in October.

Of the six incumbents, three said they plan to run in October while three have yet to make a decision.
In the yes camp are Councillors Roy Ludwig, Chris Istace and Dennis Moore.

Moore, who is currently in his first term on council, indicated he plans to run again in the fall.

Ludwig and Istace said they would also like to remain on council but are still mulling over whether they will run for a seat on council or make a move towards the mayor’s chair, which is up for grabs as Gary St. Onge has remained adamant that he will not seek another term as mayor.

Istace said the key consideration in his decision is time, noting that he would not make a push for mayor if he couldn’t fully commit to the job.

“I definitely want to be part of council,” Istace said. “I absolutely enjoy every minute of it, even the tough decisions. I’ve had good discussions with people I respect and who have a significant impact on the community and they have expressed interest (in his running for mayor).

"But what I need to watch is that I can do the position justice from a commitment level. I would hate to push hard for something and make it happen and then not be able to give 110 per cent.”

Ludwig, who is the longest serving member of council, said he is definitely looking to make another run at a council seat and is giving some thought to running for mayor but has yet to make a final decision.

“I’ve had lots of feedback and it’s been good,” Ludwig said. “We’ll have to wait and see as we get closer (to the election) what shakes out.”

In the undecided category are Councillors Brian Johnson, Lynn Chipley and Rodney Beatty.

When contacted Monday, Beatty said he is undecided at this point while Chipley said she is considering running for re-election but has yet to arrive at a final decision. Johnson falls into the same category as he told The Mercury he has not made up his mind and added he would like to see who else is running before a decision is made.

“I’m interested in seeing from the community who is letting their name stand,” said Johnson. “That’s where it’s at right now.”

As for any new faces making a run at council, as of press time no one had declared their intentions publicly.