#munipoli Matters - ISSUE 29 - "Bad" behaviour in municipal government?
Welcome to another issue of #munipoil Matters, where you can find the latest updates on what’s happening in the often underreported area of municipal elections, politics and governance happening in the local councils spread across Canada and beyond.
It’s going to be a busy week politically speaking. Today marks the beginning of Ontario’s 2022 municipal election, as candidate nominations open up across 444 municipalities for people running for mayor or council. Most of these periodical updates will be from Ontario, although I will try to check Manitoba, BC and PEI as well.
Speaking of Ontario, this week is also the anticipated beginning of the provincial election campaign, as writs are expected to be drawn up on May 4th, known to some as Star Wars Day, for a 28 day campaign culminating on a June 2 election day.
I will in the weeks ahead provide a list of all candidates who are either mayors / councillors or former mayors and councillors running for each of the four major parties, although this list will exclude current MPPs serving who previously came from a municipal background. If there is the odd school board trustee or other person that deserves a mention, I’ll take note.
For now, let’s take a look at what interesting news has popped up on my radar this week.
The trend of “bad behaviour” in municipal government?
Burlington Councillor Shawna Stotle said she is leaving after one term in office. She was first elected in Ward 4 in 2018 with 55% over councillor Jack Denison’s 45%.
Stotle was part of a massive wave of change in 2018 when only one incumbent councillor was reelected and Mayor Marianne Meed Ward beat incumbent Rick Goldring. But in the last four years, the Ward 4 representative said recent events have forced her to conclude that she needed to go.
The “recent events” stemmed from a December 6, 2021 committee meeting in which Sholte publicly referenced the cost purchasing the Robert Bateman School “above $50 million.” Councillors Kevlin Galbraith (Ward 1) and Rory Nisan (Ward 3) accused Stotle of violating the confidentiality regulations under the City’s Code of Good Governance.
My friends over on the 905er podcast questioned the need for Galbraith and Nisan to use the “nuclear option” against a colleague. The complaints against Stolte are insignificant compared to recent Integrity Commissioner complaints made in other cities. Nobody is alleging that Stolte is corrupt, or had anything but good intentions in trying to make sure information was public unless absolutely necessary.
By all accounts, Stotle was a good councillor doing a rather good job, and by being even just a bit more transparent with the way the city does business she has been basically hounded out of office.
While this Burlington example comes off as controversial, it was over disagreement with standard procedure and transparency matters. In Mississauga, another competent female councillor resigned, opting not to run again, earlier this year and later revealing that a colleague had allegedly keyed her car several times in the past two years.
Meanwhile in Hamilton, Ward 14 Councillor Terry Whitehead has become a one man shit-show with his constant bullying tactics towards city staff.
I’m seeing more one termers on various councils opting to leave after four years while more entrenched incumbents behave more like they are above the law. This is not a good sign.
Haldimand County hijinks
Veteran Tory MPP Toby Barrett, who has been in office at Queen’s Park since 1995, announced he will not be running again for another term. Barrett, a PC MPP representing the riding of Haldimand-Norfolk, was an early caucus supporter of Doug Ford’s 2018 leadership bid for the Progressive Conservatives.
The party has selected Ken Hewitt, Haldimand County’s Mayor since 2010, as their candidate in the riding for the upcoming provincial election. But there seems to be a bit of a dust-up between the incumbent MPP and the mayor/new PC candidate over proper protocol.
Although Barrett was acclaimed to run for another term a few years ago, he had quietly advised Ford’s office that 2018 would be his last election. But Barrett is critical of how Hewitt announced his candidacy before the incumbent MPP made his own decision public.
The drama got even more intriguing as Bobbi Ann Brady, Barrett’s longtime executive assistant, entered the race as an Independent with her former boss acting as her campaign manager. Brady was also the local PC riding president and said many local Conservatives are shocked by Hewitt’s appointment as the party’s official candidate.
At the end of the day, this is a riding that has stayed Tory Blue through 15 years of the previous Liberal government staying in power; Barrett held this seat with 57% of the vote in 2018. Unless something incredible egregious happens or some last minute surge from one of those minor right wing parties, the PCs should hold this seat.
Second Brockvillle mayor breaks the rules, says IC:
When Ontario’s Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy delivered the 2022 provincial budget last week, he gave what I thought were numerous and unnecessary shout-outs to the City of Brockville. If the minister wanted to put a shine on “the City of 1,000 Islands”, he can always look at this story: for the second time in the space of a calendar year, a Brockville mayor has been caught breaking the rules.
Mayor Mike Kalivas violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act when he voted in favour of a motion appointing (himself) to the top job last October, the city’s integrity commissioner has found. But, the IC also said Kalivas did this inadvertently and that no further action is needed beyond revising the city’s procedural by-laws.
Kalivas assumed his role last fall when the last mayor, Jason Baker, had to resign because he purchased a house outside the city limits of Brockville, a violation of the Municipal Act which states that an elected member of council either has to reside in or own property within the boundaries of said municipality.
In other news
Lake Country, BC: Mayor James Baker is stepping aside from the job he’s held for 17 years in this BC Interior city.
Peterborough, ON: Northcrest Ward Councillor Stephen Wright has announced his intentions to run for mayor in the wake of incumbent Diane Theirran’s decision not to seek a second term.
Peterborough entrepreneur and environmentalist Carlotta James took Earth Day (April 22) to announce she is running for the council seat Wright is vacating.
Selwyn Township, ON: Mayor Andy Mitchell will not be seeking a second term as mayor this fall. Mitchell has been on council since 2010 and before that, he was a former Liberal MP for the Parry Sound-Muskoka riding from 1993 to 2006. Deputy Mayor Sherry Senis said she will be running to replace him.
Surrey / White Rock, BC: Former Liberal MP Gordon Hogg is considering a return to municipal politics in either Surrey or White Rock, the latter in which he served as councillor and mayor, before getting elected to the BC legislature and serving in the provincial cabinet.
Hogg left BC politics and was elected to Parliament in a 2017 by-election in South Surrey-White Rock, losing the riding back to the Tories in 2019 and unsuccessfully contesting that riding again in 2021.
Victoria, BC: First term city councillor Sharmarke Dubow is ‘bowing’ out of running for another term. A former Somali refugee who fled Somalia when he was eight years old, Dubow became the first black member of Victoria City Council in 152 years in 2018.
He cited his championing of an Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which he said will help remove systemic barriers by embedding equity in city policies, programs and services. Dubow, along with Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, are not running again, while Councillor Stephen Andrews announced a mayoral bid.
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Please cover Markham Council and Mayor. Scarpitti needs accountability.