#munipoli Matters - ISSUE 51 - Sudbury mayor steps down from reelection campaign
Welcome to another edition of #munipoli Matters, where we cover the often under-reported arena of municipal politics, local elections and civic government happenings.
While my recent postings have been about the municipal races in two provinces, who is running against who, there are bits and pieces of information in between that are quite compelling.
Let’s take a look at what is going on.
Sudbury mayor withdraws from campaigning for third term
In a stunning development, Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger announced that he is leaving the mayor’s race for family reasons, thereby not seeking a third term to the job he has held since 2014.
"During my time as mayor, we have lost my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, a brother-in-law and my father. My mother’s health is now failing and although she would never ask me, I feel that I need to spend more time with her," Bigger’s statement said.
Bigger is Sudbury’s first audtior general, appointed in 2010 by the previous mayor. In 2014, he made a surprise run and was elected mayor, then reelected in 2018. During his tenure, the mayor oversaw some controversial projects, one which he changed his position on and ended up not getting built.
That leaves eight names left in the running for Sudbury’s next mayor: former councillor Evelyn Dutrisac, Don Gravelle, Bob Johnston, Devin Labranche, former Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre, J. David Popescu, Miranda Rocca-Circelli and Mila Wong.
It also means that four major cities in Northern Ontario will see new mayors taking office after the municipal election: Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and Timmins.
Toronto councillor charged with sexual assault
With just barely a month to go before the October 24th municipal election, a small bombshell might have been detonated in Toronto’s east end in one of the council seats in Scarborough.
Councillor Michael Thompson, who has represented Scarborough Centre since 2003, was charged with two counts of sexual assault stemming from incidents in Bracebridge when Thompson was at a cottage in the Port Carling area.
Thompson’s lawyer, Calvin Barry, told the Toronto Sun “he will be pleading not guilty” and will “vigorously defend himself” against the allegations which Barry called “baseless.” Barry added that Thompson has been “cooperating” in the investigation.
None of these charges have been proven in court.
First elected in 2003 on a law and order platform, Thompson has served on the police board from 2010 to 2014 and chair of the economic development committee. In the wake of the allegations, the councillor resigned his role as deputy mayor and on other committees.
He is scheduled to appear in Bracebridge before the Ontario Court of Justice on November 1, about a week after the election. In 2018, Thompson won reelection with 69% of the vote.
Polls on City Council races show incumbency advantage
It remains to be seen how these allegations with just a few weeks left until the election will affect Thompson’s reelection chances.
However, if a recent Forum Research poll is to be believed, other incumbent councillors are looking at easier paths to getting another term, or in open wards at least one or two candidates have pulled ahead of the pack.
For example in Davenport, where incumbent Ana Bailao is not running again, former multiple time NDP and council candidate Alejandra Bravo is ahead with 62% support. Ausma Malik, a former school trustee running in Spadina-Fort York, has 52% of the support.
Other wards without incumbents have at least two candidates with the bulk of support thus far. In University-Rosedale, former environment commissioner Dianne Saxe leads with 38% while Robin Buxton Potts, a former aide to a councillor appointed to Toronto Centre, has 26% of support.
Toronto Centre has Chris Moise, another former trustee, with 41% while community activist Nicki Ward has 26%. Meanwhile, incumbent Anthony Perruzza (Humber River-Black Creek) has 73% of support, Mark Grimes (Etobicoke Lakeshore) has 53% support and Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park) has 52% support.
Former councillors Vince Crisanti and Jon Burnside, both of whom lost in 2018 but are running again, are also posting healthy leads and look like they could return to Toronto City Council.
Basic income picking up steam in municipalities
Several years ago, the Ontario government launched a pilot project, exploring the viability of introducing basic income to various communities, such as Hamilton, Brantford, Thunder Bay and Lindsay in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
That program was cancelled by the Ford government when they assumed power in 2018, but the idea of a guaranteed basic income in Canada has not gone away.
Recently a number of Maritime municipalities passed motions calling for Basic Income, such as in Moncton, New Brunswick.
In Halifax, where Mayor Mike Savage endorsed the idea.
And in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Back in the 1970s, the most prominent example of a Basic Income experiment was in Manitoba, starting in Winnipeg then moving into rural parts of the province, with the City of Dauphlin being the location of a pilot project.
Might we see this movement advocating for Basic Income spread to other municipalities beyond Atlantic Canada?
Why are there no municipal political parties in Ontario?
Finally for a decent explanation to the question posed above, please watch this video.
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