Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack confirmed he will not be running for re-election. Almost 11 years in, Knack said he continues to love every day of his service to Edmontonians. He added this “is truly my dream job, and the choice to give up this dream is not easily done.” “I’ve made this decision because I know it’s time for new representation within the ward I represent,” said Knack in a Monday statement. “We’ve had a lot of success advancing many important projects and policies, but some of the most complex issues we are dealing with today require a different approach.” .He called Edmonton “a city full of creativity and compassion.” Additionally, he said Edmontonians support each other through tough times and come together to celebrate successes. As there is one year before the next election, he said his work will not stop. He said there are many important issues to deal with and even if Edmonton city council cannot solve every one in that time, it will have to try. These issues include making meaningful progress on working with the Alberta government on housing and homelessness, trying to keep up as best as it can with the most rapid population growth in Edmonton’s history, and managing budgetary pressures stemming from it. He acknowledged he looks forward to working with his colleagues on these issues over the next year. While this statement will not be the one where he thanks everyone who has been part of his journey since 2007, he said he wanted to say a few quick thank yous with many more to come over the next year. He thanked his family for being supportive every step of the way. He expressed gratitude to the colleagues who he has served with over the past three terms for sharing their wisdom and guidance. To his current colleagues, he said he has learned more in the last three years than he did in the first eight. His final thank you was to all Edmontonians. This is because they gave him his first opportunity to serve in 2013 and re-elected him in 2017 and 2021. By announcing this news now, Knack said he hopes it provides Edmontonians the chance to put their names forward to help serve Ward Nakota Isga and Edmonton. “Serving you has been the greatest honour of my life, and I look forward to seeing what is next in our wonderful city,” he said. Knack said in 2023 15-minute cities will make people’s lives more convenient. READ MORE: Knack says 15-minute cities are not about segregation“Everything is going to be within 15 minutes,” he said.“You're not going to have to worry about traffic because people won't need a car.”
