First-term Waitaki district councillor Dr June Slee will not be seeking re-election at the local elections in October this year.
Dr Slee (70), who also served as Waitaki's Environment Canterbury councillor from 2004 to 2007, said it had been a "difficult decision'' to step away from local politics, but she said she wanted to spend time on an increasingly important bucket list.
"I worked hard for three years,'' she said. "There are a few more books I'm writing. I really, really want to travel. At this age, there are a lot of things you really want to do. Your bucket list is sort of sitting there waiting.''
Dr Slee was sworn in as councillor in February 2014 after she took the seat unopposed in a by-election in December 2013. No-one stood for the seat in the 2013 local elections.
She was approached to run for the Ahuriri ward seat in 2013, but declined. Instead she travelled to Tasmania for 10 weeks to research her next book.
Yesterday, she said she was still ``halfway through'' writing the book.
Dr Slee said she was confident the Ahuriri ward council role would be filled in October.
"I am really confident that there are really, really great people up here that would do the job well,'' she said.
"There are some fantastically political and informed people in this ward.''
She said the community board at Ahuriri was very strong and had "made the job'' for her.
She also called Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher "a great bloke''.
"He's a good role model for us all. He works so hard and he's so well informed.''
Dr Slee said she told Mr Kircher of her decision last week.
Mr Kircher announced he would seek re-election in October last year. At the time, the Otago Daily Times canvassed the councillors and Dr Slee said she would be standing again.
The Waitaki District Council has 10 councillors: in addition to the one councillor from Ahuriri, there is one from the Waihemo ward, two from the Corriedale ward, and six from the Oamaru ward.
Nominations open for candidates on July 15 and close August 12.
