Schickel talks more about announcement not to run for re-election as Mason City’s mayor

Mason City’s mayor Bill Schickel made the announcement last Friday that he will not seek another term.

On the “Ask the Mayor” podcast published Wednesday on northiowanow.com, Schickel expanded on his decision, saying he questioned whether trying to be mayor for another four years would have been the right choice.  “I happen to be 74 years old, and if I was to have another term, I’d be closing in on 80 at the end of that term. That’s not really the main thing, but to do the mayor’s job, it’s a high-energy job, and I questioned whether I would have the energy for that.”

Schickel says the city is well positioned for the future with a quality city council and city staff.   “We have such a great team here, we have such great partners, and I really think succession planning is important. I know that the chief and all of our departments are working on that, and it’s important for me to do that as well. All of us sometimes have to practice the art of letting go as well.”

While no one has stepped forward yet to announce their candidacy for the mayor’s job, Schickel says he looks forward to anyone approaching him about the position, but he says he’s not likely to endorse anyone prior to the election.   “You know putting my thumb on the scale, I’m not big on that quite honestly. When I talk to candidates, I say ‘you have to set your agenda. You have to be your own person. That’s one of the requirements of the job’. So whether I endorse or not, that remains to be seen.”

Schickel is Mason City’s longest serving mayor, having spent a total of over 5940 days in the position over three periods of time from 1990 to 1993, 1998 to 2003, and 2018 to the present.

You can hear more of Schickel’s comments from the “Ask the Mayor” program by clicking here