White Rock, B.C., mayor will not seek re-election in 2018

White Rock will have a new mayor after the 2018 municipal elections.

Mayor Wayne Baldwin says he will not seek re-election after his current term ends.

The two-term mayor said he made the decision not to run again in the lead up to the 2014 election.

"We had so many issues in the previous three years, left a lot of things incomplete, so I wanted to try and finish a few things off," Baldwin said.

"I thought, I'll run one more time and if I get in, that's great, if not, that's fine. One more term and that was it."

The 73-year-old came out of retirement to run for office and says it's time for fresh blood to take the mayor's chair.

Looking back, Baldwin says his proudest achievement as mayor was the city's purchase of its water utility, which was previously owned by EPCOR, an Edmonton-based utility.

"They were taking a lot of money away from our citizens and giving it to the City of Edmonton," he said of the company, which is owned by that city.

"It was time for us to repatriate it and bring it under municipal control."

According to his biography, Baldwin previously worked as an engineer and was a major in the Canadian Forces.

He also spent 23 years as the city's manager.

"I've attended over 1,000 council meetings. That's gotta be some kind of record."

Baldwin says he looks forward to spending time with his nine grandchildren.

Municipal elections in British Columbia will be held Oct. 20.

With files from Maryse Zeidler