Longtime city councillor John Utley has been appointed mayor designate while Kevin Davis recuperates from surgery later this month.

“I take this very seriously,” Utley told fellow councillors after he was appointed in a 9-1 vote at council’s community development committee meeting Tuesday night. “I’ll do my absolute best to keep you informed.”

Utley said it will be “a real honour and a privilege to serve this council and my city.”

A bylaw allowing the appointment of a mayor designate will be introduced at an upcoming meeting.

“I don’t want to see another mayor go through this again,” said Davis.

The mayor announced at a Kidney Walk last month that he has stage one renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.

Davis, 64, who was elected mayor last October, said an MRI done in early July for an unrelated lower back issue first detected the cancer. He says he has no symptoms and would not otherwise have gone for testing.

Davis will continue working right up until his surgery on Oct. 22 when he will undergo a laparoscopic procedure to remove his right kidney. He said that, because of early detection, his long-term prognosis is excellent.

The city currently has a mayor-of-the-month system, with councillors taking on the role on a rotational basis. The appointment of a mayor designate will “ensure consistent coverage of the mayor’s duties and powers” during the Davis’s absence.

The mayor said he expects to be off the job for three to five weeks.

“I’m keeping a very positive frame of mind,” he said. “But I can’t be certain how long I’ll be off.”

Davis said several councillors were approached about taking on the mayor designate role.

Coun. John Sless, who is serving his eighth term as a Ward 2 representative, said Utley, who also represents Ward 2, wasn’t “hand-picked, but group-picked” for the job.

Davis said Utley, who is retired and serving his third council term, was selected because he is already acting mayor for November, has a lot of experience, the right temperament and the time to do the job. He will be mayor designate for the remainder of his four-year term.

Coun. Greg Martin, the only councillor to vote against the resolution, said he believes a mayor designate position isn’t necessary with a mayor-of-the-month system.

“There are four other councillors with more experience who are retired or semi-retired,” said Martin, who is in his 15th year serving Ward 3.

Richard Carpenter, who has been a Ward 4 councillor for 25 years, said Utley is the right choice.

“I’ve been here a long time but I’ve never mastered the diplomacy of Coun. Utley. He is the most polite councillor that I know of.”

An emotional Davis said he has been overwhelmed by the reaction since he disclosed his illness.

“I am moved by your support,” he told councillors. “And all the kind words of support from the community.”