CBRM Mayor Amanda McDougall-Merrill won't run for re-election

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall-Merrill will not run for re-election in October.

"It wasn't a decision that was easy to come to but one that I did arrive at with lots of thoughtful conversation with my husband, with my family and my colleagues," McDougall-Merrill told CBC News in an interview on Thursday.

She was first elected as a councillor for District 8, the municipality's second largest district, in 2016. She was elected mayor in 2020.

A news release detailing McDougall-Merrill's announcement noted her time in office had been "one of growth and development in the municipality, but also one of catastrophic events."

Her tenure as mayor has included two weather-related states of emergencies, including post-tropical storm Fiona and the massive snowfall that blanketed the municipality in February.

McDougall-Merrill considers securing more than $1 million in funding to ensure the municipality is prepared for future weather and emergency situations one of her successes, the news release said.

"It's been a  really challenging four years, it's been a really successful four years," she said. "But the truth is I have young children who need their mom and right now, that's where my priorities lie."

McDougall-Merrill said one of the things that surprised her about being mayor was how much expectations shifted compared to her previous role as municipal councillor.

"Because I was a woman, the bar was set a lot higher. I had to prove myself much more than any man before me and that was hard, and that's a hard thing to carry with you every single day when you're working," she said.

"And so if I were to have success, it needed to be really, really great. If I were to do something that garnered some criticism, that criticism was deeper than anything I had seen.

"It was almost like beneficial when I was a councillor, a female councillor. But being a female mayor, the first female mayor, my gender made it harder."

McDougall-Merrill became a target for threats during her time in office. She said elected officials are fair game for criticism but it crosses a line when it involves family. For example, she said some people used her son's Down syndrome as a way to attack her.

Earlene MacMullin, councillor for District 2 in the municipality, said she understands why McDougall isn't reoffering.

"I mean, she's young and she has a young family and she has issues and people tend to want to use that against her and it's unfortunate. But it happens quite regularly in politics," MacMullin said, adding that men in politics also become targets.