Councillor Bill Marra will not run in October municipal election
Bill Marra is stepping aside from municipal politics after first joining Windsor council in 1994
For the first time in 27 years Bill Marra's name will not be on the ballot this fall when Windsorites vote in the municipal election.
Marra, the longest serving councillor on Windsor's council, said he is stepping aside from city politics after a council meeting on Monday.
While not completely ruling out a future in politics, Marra admits he won't be running for council in the October 22nd election.
He was first elected as a city councillor in 1994 for Ward 4 and currently serves at the councillor for Ward 8.
'Time to move forward'
"I've enjoyed every moment of it, even some of the difficult days," said Marra, following the council meeting.
"I love Windsor as much as anyone else but it is time for me to move forward and move on and hopefully that seat will be filled with new ideas."
End of an era on council. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ward8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ward8</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/greatrun?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#greatrun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/endofera?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#endofera</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biagiobillmarra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@biagiobillmarra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Biagio1965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Biagio1965</a> <a href="https://t.co/rPBqG9LuMJ">pic.twitter.com/rPBqG9LuMJ</a>
—@windsor_rinoMarra said debated on whether or not to run last election. He thought his experience would serve the city well as a few new members joined.
"There are a lot of reasons why, and frankly I was 29 when I was elected ... sometimes you have to respect and appreciate your body and your mind and shift gears a little bit," he said, adding that he's busy with his career as the vice president of external and government affairs at Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare.
Marra says some of his most proud moments are mitigating flooding in his ward, building a library and investing around the Fontainebleau area.
"Some of the most important and proud moments are those small investments and decisions in my ward that made a difference in quality of life," he said.
Legacy left behind
Marra said he takes pride in is advocacy for public transit and making sure Windsor is included in Ontario's plan for high speed rail.
"I would like to think part of what I leave behind is a member of council that was ethical, that was bound by strong moral ground and good values, always did the right thing for the right reasons," Marra said.
Marra was first elected in 1994 — then re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
His only break from sitting around the council table was in 2003 when he was defeated in the mayoral race by Eddie Francis. Marra originally represented Ward 4 in 2010 — he was voted into the newly established Ward 8 on the city's east-side.