This week was the last time the current Wheatland County council met for a regular council meeting.

Part of the discussion also was a farewell to long-time Division 7 Councillor Ben Armstrong, who will not be seeking re-election.

Armstrong thanked his fellow councillors with who he served with for the last four years, but he also thanked the current and past county councils and staff.

Armstrong has served as a Wheatland County councillor for 29 years.

"I thank the staff for all their diligence, their caring, and their pride of work and not just the present staff, but the staff in the past. This county was in pretty good shape when I came on and it's in pretty good shape now and it wasn't simply because of the councillors, most of it was because of the staff,” he said.

“It's been an honour and a privilege to represent the ratepayers of Division 7. I'm sure that next one coming on whoever it will be on the lucky one out of the three will do just as good a job, or probably even better.”

He wished the other members of the council well in their campaigns.

Councillor Glenn Koester said, “I’d like to thank you Ben for the last 18 years and a half. Thank you for your guidance when I first came on it was greatly appreciated, for your consistent wisdom throughout the years, and your approach and your style of representing your ratepayers. I'm thinking they'll be talking about that for a long time to come yet.”

"We're incredibly grateful for you and your service,” said Reeve Amber Link.

“Even before I got on council, I called you and when I first got on council you were a mentor. When I had questions you always had answers, or you could point me in the right direction to find answers,” she said.

She thanked Armstrong for his steadfast service.

“I don't know that we'll see many people in the future that served for close to 30 years, and that's impressive, and I think this county is better because of the service that you did,” she said.

Link also noted councillor Koester’s longtime service.

“We're all relatively new compared to both of you, and your wisdom and your insight has been appreciated by this council,” she said.