ROCKLAND — Rockland Mayor Lisa Westkaemper announced this week that she will not be running for reelection to City Council.

Her seat is one of two seats to be filled on the five-member board this November; with the other upcoming vacancy currently held by Valli Geiger, who is campaigning for State Representative.

Westkaemper’s decision to refrain from another Council bid leaves the door open for two new councilors. Those entering the race have until September 21, 2020 to file their paperwork, which includes at least 100 signatures of registered Rockland voters.

Westkaemper sat on Council for a three-year term, starting in 2017; for the second two years of that term, she presided as mayor.

In a 2017 interview, she stated interest in housing, historic architecture, and project-based City budgets, among other Council topics. 

As is the case for many councilors when a term is nearing its end, Westkaemper spent a lot of time throughout the past year debating whether to seek a second three-year run. 

“There’s no big reason why I decided not to run,” she said. “It’s not because of COVID, nor is it because of any big, insurmountable issue. It’s just time for me to go on to other things.”

Westkaemper plans to remain in Rockland, having moved from Texas to the Midcoast with her husband in 2013.

Prior to relocating to Maine, she served for a term on City Council in Texas, was a member of the Denton County Historic Commission, worked for the City of Austin and the State of Texas, worked at the University of Texas, and co-owned two successful small businesses. She holds a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts.

For Westkaemper, her background is just another part of the fabric that makes up the Rockland City Council.

“Each Council member that I have served with has met the job head on, served to the best of their ability, and risen to the challenges inherent in the job.”

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.