Killarney Guide

Killarney’s longest serving mayor, Rick Pauls, declares his departure from the council chamber 

BY KIM LANGEN

Killarney’s longest serving mayor has vacated the council chamber’s hot seat.

Rick Pauls, mayor of the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, said he announced his resignation today, after serving 13.5 years as head of council. 

“It is my intention to resign as mayor,” said Pauls late last week. “I have a few more things to complete yet, so the formal announcement will likely be on Monday, December 21. My role as mayor will end immediately following this statement to my council.”

Deputy mayor Janice Smith has now become acting head of council, and council must immediately call a by-election, to take place within a few months, in order to elect a new mayor, he added.

“Once I make the announcement, it is immediate, and there will be no mayor at that point,” said Pauls, who is currently around halfway through his fourth four-year term. “It will just be council running things until the by-election.”

Pauls said the chief reason he was giving up his mayoral seat was financial. 

This has been due to the pressures of operating his business, the Blarney Stone Pub and Restaurant, at a serious loss over this past year, as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis and its consequent health restrictions.

“How long can I keep on paying rent and running an operation that is losing money?” he said last week. “Because of COVID-19 I have had to explore other opportunities. I have had to look after my personal interests; I had to explore every option, because I had to think about myself and my family.”

Pauls already has a positive future lined up, he added, but his upcoming new role in Killarney includes the necessity of stepping down as mayor for conflict of interest reasons.

“I have been given a great opportunity in the community,” he said. “But I am not at liberty to say exactly what it is at this point. In regards to the Blarney Stone, I am stepping down from the majority of the day-to-day operation of the restaurant. Jenny Beare is now the general manager there.”

A second reason for Paul’s departure is stress-related, he added.

“It’s not just financial, although that is the main reason,” he said. “It’s for mental health reasons too. I want to be able to sleep at night. There’s only so many times you can be slammed by people who type something on Facebook, and these are the same people who never step up for their community. These are the least involved people. When I first began as mayor nearly 14 years ago, social media wasn’t so prevalent. Now people have opinions before they research things. People should come to council meetings, and find out the facts if they want, or at least contact someone on council to learn about the facts. People don’t have to agree with council. Sometimes I don’t agree with council. And I think anyone who runs for council deserves the utmost respect for what they do.”

Pauls said he deeply values his years serving as mayor, and being part of a strong council line-up.

“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished during my time as mayor,” he said. “The biggest thing by far is that we have always been able to work as a highly functioning council, no matter who was on.  The mayor can’t accomplish anything on his or her own. Our team has been terrific. And we have a great staff in our municipal employees. They are the unsung heroes.”

Listed amongst a raft of major projects completed during Pauls’ tenure include: the completion of the Shamrock Centre, the new water treatment plant, and the new Fire Hall; the attraction to the community of a number of major investors; the Young Street residential development, and a new industrial park behind the Shamrock Centre; the Splash Park, and improvements at the Ag Grounds; and the support of the Heritage Home for the Arts project.

“We also lobbied hard to maintain our hospital and services in the area,” said the mayor. 

Over the years Pauls has been a frequent voice heard not only on local news stations and in newspaper print, but also via both provincial and national airwaves and the print media. 

While only a small-town mayor, his bold voice and opinions often managed to reach a very wide swath of listeners across the country. And he always provided good copy and quotes for reporters.

Pauls first served as a councillor for Killarney between 2002 and 2005, before returning to run as mayor in 2007, he said. 

“I have some great friends, lifelong friends, and contacts,” said Pauls. “And I still want to be heavily involved with the community in any way that I can. My biggest regret is that we didn’t support community development enough. Council knows this. I have been vocal in council regarding our CDC (Community Development Corporation).”

Pauls added that at this point in time no member of the current council had expressed an interest in running for mayor, which could open the field for the materialization of a new candidate in the by-election.

The mayor also said he intended to enjoy some relaxation following his announcement.

“I’m looking forward to a bit of a break,” said Pauls. “How does it feel? It gives me a great sense of relief. You are on call 24/7 when you are mayor, and it’s tough. I take things personally. I think you have to take it personally to be a good mayor. You need to keep an eye on the pulse of the community.”

And Pauls said that he hoped that time would reward him with a good reputation as mayor for the municipality.

“Overall it has been one of the greatest honours of my life to be mayor,” he said. “I am the longest serving mayor in Killarney. I’m hoping that 40 years from now people will look back, and say, ‘He was a good mayor.’”

LEAVING THE COUNCIL CHAMBER – Long-serving mayor Rick Pauls has resigned as mayor for the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain, after nearly 14 years of service. As a result, a municipal by-election will be held in around three months time, and a new mayor will be elected.

KIM LANGEN/KILLARNEY GUIDE