Lancaster Mayor Jerry Wehrle announced this afternoon that after more than 15 years as mayor, he plans to retire after his term is up in April 2016.

In a release sent out this afternoon, Wehrle addressed the residents of Lancaster about this, and about his tenure.

"Dear Residents, Friends and Colleagues, it has been my honor to serve as Mayor of Lancaster for the past 15 ½ years.  As the longest serving Mayor in Lancaster history I am now closing out my 19 years of public service.  I have decided, after discussing with my wife and friends, not to not seek another term as Mayor when my term expires in April.
 
"When I was first elected all those years ago, it was the fulfillment of many of my hopes and dreams.  I am proud to say that we, the Lancaster Community, have achieved many great accomplishments over the years while I was Mayor.
 
"Some of the greatest achievements include: Klondyke Park improvements, creation of Arrow Ridge Business Park, Golf Course revitalization, City Hall renovation and the recent Library expansion project. In addition, and most importantly, I have worked to improve relationships with other municipalities and state agencies.
 
It is my hope that Lancaster continues to thrive and grow in the years to come as I know the seeds for that growth have been carefully laid.
 
"In parting, I still believe after all these years, that public service is a noble, honorable and rewarding way to serve your community.  I encourage those who have never thought about public service to get involved and make a difference.  I also encourage citizens to think critically about issues so they can make an informed decision.  There are many important issues facing our community now and certainly will be in the future.  Citizens must be engaged, ask questions, read news from more than one source and of course, vote.
 
"I now close my Mayoral career, with my head held high and turn a new page.   Although I will no longer be the Mayor of Lancaster I still plan to stay active in community service as I have done my whole life."

Mayor Wehrle sat down after this announcement with the Grant County Herald Independent, the contents of the interview, his thoughts on his tenure, and advice he would give his successor, wil be in the Nov. 26 edition of the newspaper.