DAWSON CITY March 21 will be Ray Hayes' last meeting with his trustee's advisory committee in Dawson City.

The former YTG civil servant has served notice that he will not be available to act as trustee for the town after that date, which will mark almost two years in the position for him.

Interviewed this morning, Hayes indicated he had that conversation with Community Services Minister Glenn Hart last month.

He told the minister that while the government has extended the possibility of elections in Dawson out to the October date for all municipal elections, he believes his job was done and has no wish to continue for a third summer.

'I didn't intend for this to be a second career,' said Hayes.

There was no correspondence related to this conversation, he said. He thought the media might have picked up the story from members of the Association of Yukon Communities. He had told people there he will not be attending their April meeting.

Hayes also said that his decision should not be seen as an ultimatum to the minister, with which he says he has had a generally cordial working relationship.

If the government has a plan for debt relief, and if it is ready to make an announcement about elections for the town, Hayes said he'd be willing to stay on the extra six to eight weeks to see that process through to the end.

But beyond that, he feels it's time to get on with his own retirement.

'I'm not renewing my option and nobody has talked to me about whether there'll be an election call before the end of March or not, Hayes said.

'I don't know. I know the minister is working hard trying to get things done, but I don't know if that's going to happen or not.'

The March meeting was postponed with Hayes' decision in mind.

'I delayed the March meeting because I wanted to have it closer to the end of the time that I would be there. Also, Paul (Moore, Dawson's city manager) was going to be away and.... I wanted him around the office the week or so before so he could make sure of any loose ends that have to be tied up.

'There are a couple of bylaws that may or may not have to be passed: the property tax rate bylaw and the budget bylaw.'

There are no increases in property taxes planned. The projected budget will probably be the same as the draft that has been reported on previously.

'The way I look at it now, if I don't say that I'm finished at the end of March, the possibility is that I could be there 'til October.'

Hayes has previously indicated that he's had a returning officer for an election on standby since the end of last summer.

'A lot of people are asking questions about whether it's worth calling an election now and then having another one in October, I don't know, but I don't intend to be there in October.

'I've given my last two summers to Dawson, basically, and I want to be able to plan stuff in my own life,' said the Whitehorse resident.

'I've been going almost month-to-month saying, in my own mind, that maybe next month we'll have an election. I just want to have some certainty for myself and my family.'

Hayes has said previously this appointment has worked out to be much, much longer than he anticipated. He'd originally planned to wrap up the job by December of 2004, eight months after the town council was removed by YTG when it became clear Dawson was bankrupt.

It's current debt stands at about $5 million.

'We were overly optimistic, I guess,' Hayes said. 'But now here we are at March of '06 and I'm still there. Enough is enough.

'I've enjoyed working with everybody up there, and I know a whole lot more people than I did before.'

People have been good about the situation, he said.

'They've been really supportive, and I really appreciate that. It's helped make life more bearable and whatnot, what with hotel rooms and driving.

'I'll ride off into the sunset at the end of March unless there's an election called and the minister asks me to stay on for transition.'

Hart declined to comment to the Star today on his government's plans for Dawson.