After 15 years as mayor, Katchur seeks council seat in 2025

Fort Saskatchewan Mayor Gale Katchur said she is "heartbroken" to be ending her 15-year streak as mayor, but that she will run for election as a city councillor in 2025, not mayor.

"I have decided I need a little bit of work-life balance," Katchur told Taproot. "Working as mayor, I put in a tremendous amount of hours — and I know some of it was self-inflicted — but my husband said to me, 'Honey, I never see you anymore.'"

Taproot has compiled data on all 14 current mayors across the Edmonton region, including the length of their term, whether they have filed to run in 2025, and whether they have confirmed challengers, where relevant. The data shows Katchur has been mayor the longest, though Stony Plain Mayor William Choy, who has been mayor for 13 years, is close. It also shows that, at the moment, four of 14 municipalities have no challengers to an incumbent mayor who is seeking re-election, two have no one yet running for mayor at all, and only Beaumont and Devon have mayoral races.

Katchur on longevity

Back in Fort Saskatchewan, the decision not to run for mayor is a full-circle moment for Katchur, who was first elected as a councillor in 2007, serving as such until 2011. From each election after that one, however, Katchur has served as mayor.

Katchur credited her longevity to understanding municipal processes, having worked for the city's administration before entering office, and her presence in the community — from public events to private functions. "I've (officiated) over 2,000 weddings. I've married most of Fort Saskatchewan," she said. "If my calendar is open, I am there."

Katchur faced criticism in 2024, when during a discussion about the city's feral cats she suggested they could be exterminated by drowning or gassing them with a car's exhaust. She later apologized for the remarks.

She said council's key accomplishments during her term are upgraded recreation and outdoor amenities, and advocacy to the province to twin the Highway 15 bridge and build two new schools.

Katchur said she is running to complete the Helmuth Ritter Fire Hall and a fourth ice surface for the city, both of which have design funding but will require the next council to complete them. Unlike in Edmonton, where infill housing has turned into an election issue for some, Katchur foresees voters having different concerns. "People in Fort Saskatchewan are really looking for quality of life," she said. "I think when it comes to these items, those are the ones that will either get you elected or not."

The data

As Taproot's data shows, only one potential replacement for Katchur has declared their candidacy as of July 24: Coun. Lisa Makin, who was first elected as councillor in 2017, filed her intent to run in December.

Also: What issues do you care about as you consider who to vote for in the 2025 municipal election, and why? The 2025 municipal elections are approaching. Let us know what matters, and read more about what we plan to do with what we gather.