Carlyle Mayor Wayne Orsted became mayor by acclamation on. Sept. 3 after previous mayor, Don Shirley stepped down from the position.
Orsted says,"The seat became vacant and I was asked if I would consider it." No stranger to civic politics, Orsted has served the Town of Carlyle as both mayor (1997-2000) and as a member of council on and off since 1993, adding up to over a decade's service to the community.
A resident of Carlyle since 1977, Orsted says, "Carlyle is currently experiencing some growing pains. We have a lot more issues than we've had to deal with previously. Rental housing is a problem in Carlyle. There are plenty of job openings and opportunities, but one of the problems we have is that there are no places for people to stay. Housing prices have gone up and a lot of people can't afford to buy, but there is no place for them to rent, either."
"We don't have the luxury of a developer coming into town and putting up a new subdivision. There are costs associated with developing new areas that the town is entirely responsible for."
In spite of these challenges, the new mayor says that Carlyle is still "an excellent place to live," and that he is looking forward to working with a constructive council that represents a cross-section of Carlyle's citizens.
"Carlyle is an excellent place for all ages," says Orsted. "It's a great place to retire because it's still a smaller centre. It has a lot of the things that Estevan and Weyburn have, but you can still get anywhere in town in five minutes."
"For young people, it's got good schools, great amenities like the pool, and a real advantage with the lakes as far as recreation is concerned. It's only an hour from Weyburn or Estevan, and only two hours from Regina, Brandon and Minot. It's a good place to raise a family," adds Orsted, who raised his children here.
"We have a group of people on council that represent a good cross-section of the community," says Orsted. "We have people from the business community as well as councillors that represent almost all of the ages and demographics of our citizens."
"Everyone on council has their own ideas about what they would like to see and their own priorities. We all voice our own views, but we respect each other and work well together. Everyone on council is working for the good of the town," adds Orsted.
"I've lived here a long time. I like a small centre and Carlyle is a good community-for all ages."
