to be formally dressed, but the policy was dropped after being widely criticized and noted as a potential conflict of interest, given Atchison's involvement with the family men's wear store. The policy was targeted by comedian Rick Mercer, who sponsored an online contest in 2004 that went on to name Atchison "Canada's Craziest Mayor," a title he jokingly embraced. Atchison oversaw a period of rapid economic growth, emphasizing the development of new neighbourhoods, infrastructure, and the renewal of the River Landing development adjacent to downtown. He was re-elected by wide margins in 2006 and 2009, before earning a narrow bid for a fourth term in 2012 against political newcomer Tom Wolf. In the 2012 election, Wolf targeted perceived mismanagement at City Hall, a lack of consultation with the public, and Atchison's reputation for boosterism, and won a majority of votes in all of the city's core neighbourhoods. Atchison was re-elected on a strong performance in suburban neighbourhoods. As term limits for Saskatchewan municipal councils were extended at this time to four years, Atchison's fourth term would make him the longest serving mayor in the city's history. Atchison was known as a mayor who attended events prolifically, but by 2012 he also began drawing heavy criticism for never having attended a local pride parade, despite annual invitations from organizers. In 2015, hundreds of people circulated a letter criticizing Atchison's continued absence, though in 2016 Atchison continued to claim that his absences were merely due to scheduling conflicts. In 2016 Atchison launched a bid for what would have been a record-setting fifth term as mayor. He was ultimately defeated by former city councillor Charlie Clark, who ran against Atchison on a platform focused on inclusiveness and planning for future growth. Comeback attempt After the 2016 election, Atchison worked as a consultant for Canwest Commercial and Land Corporation on the development of a World Trade Center in downtown Saskatoon. In 2020, he launched a comeback bid for the mayor's chair, challenging the incumbent Clark and former provincial cabinet minister Rob Norris. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Atchison positioned himself as an experienced leader best-positioned to guide the city's economic recovery. He renewed his early-career promise to freeze property taxes and criticized recently adopted initiatives including a new rapid-transit system and a new central library project. He ultimately finished third in the race behind Norris and Clark, who was re-elected to a