Paterson prepares to leave city hall after 12 years as Kingston mayor

Bryan Paterson lost to Conny Glenn in the mayoral race last week.

Bryan Paterson has no regrets as he is about to step away from the chair he has held for the last 12 years.

Kingston's outgoing mayor will be leading city council one last time Tuesday night. This will be the first meeting since last week's municipal election, one that saw current city councillor Conny Glenn defeat Paterson for mayor in a close vote.

Paterson says he is leaving with his head held high.

Paterson's decision to seek a fourth term came over a month after Glenn put her name in for the mayor's seat. Three others also joined in: Vanessa Mensah, Grant Bedard, and Stephen Cuthbertson but Cuthbertson withdrew prior to the nomination deadline and instead ran for a council seat in Lakeside.

Paterson says the end result was inevitable given the strong sentiment being felt across the city.

Paterson says there was a lot that was accomplished over the 16 years he has been on city council.

The new council will have nine returning members, 10 if you include Glenn. Many of them said they were going to miss Paterson's leadership on council.

Paterson says that speaks to his ability to bring people together on matters that affect the city.

Tuesday's meeting will officially be the last for the current term. The new council will be officially sworn in on Nov 24.

Story by Ken Hashizume