Sudbury's chief of police is calling Mayor Marianne Matichuk’s decision to sit on the Greater Sudbury Police Board “historic.”

Matichuk will step away from the utilities board to join the police board.

"Knowing the demands on the Mayor's time I decided to take each one of them in a two year block,” she said.

“The two years were up and I decided to go on to the police services board."

Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk (CBC)

City council has held two seats on the board since it began four decades ago.

Police Chief Frank Elsner said the mayor's decision to fill one of these seats is an unusual move.

"Within those 40 years, no one is aware of a mayor sitting on the board, so this is pretty historic,” he said.

"The mayor brings a different perspective to council and would probably bring a different one to the police services board.”

City Councillor Evelyn Dutrisac has resigned from the board, but councillor Ron Dupuis, who has served on the police board for six years, said he’s staying.