council

Thursday June 1, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 1, 2017

Hamilton councillors offer civic rings to former colleagues

Should former Hamilton councillors Brad Clark and Scott Duvall be recognized for their political service to the community?

Mountain councillor Tom Jackson said he “felt bad” those former politicians didn’t receive some acknowledgment for their years of sacrifice from the city and council.

It was one of the reasons why Jackson supported a city staff recommendation to update a policy to give departing, retiring or deceased councillors a civic ring.

March 10, 2011

Rose Caterina, city clerk, said the policy wasn’t updated for council’s 2010-to-2014 term, which meant Clark, who didn’t run for re-election in Ward 9 in 2014 but instead ran for mayor and lost to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, didn’t receive a ring.

Duvall, who was re-elected in Ward 7 but resigned after becoming the Hamilton Mountain NDP MP, also didn’t receive a ring.

Jackson defended the city providing civic rings to former councillors, saying it is some form of recognition of their hard work on behalf of the community.

“This is nothing ostentatious at all,” said Jackson, who spoke on behalf of issuing civic rings during the May 30 governance review subcommittee. “This is just a small way of saying thanks for the many years of service.”

The subcommittee approved the recommendation to provide civic rings to outgoing, retiring and deceased councillors. About $5,000 per term would be allocated to purchase the rings. Councillors Maria Pearson and Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson both supported the idea. (Source: Hamilton News)

 

Wednesday May 10, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 10, 2017

The Spectator’s view: A mayoral veto is just musing, but …

March 24, 2017

You had to know that when Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger used the word veto, hackles would be raised. Not all hackles equally, mind you. Reaction on social media was more mixed, with some actually seeing merit in the mayor’s observation. But in the minds of many — see today’s letters — Eisenberger may as well have suggested doing away with council entirely and running the show himself.

http://www.mackaycartoons.net/yahoo_files/2012/huh2012-01-12.html

January 12, 2012

Let’s be clear: the mayor was musing, no more. The province would have to change the municipal act to enable something like a veto, and there is no appetite for that. Eisenberger knows that and said as much.

He was trying to make a point, and it’s one worth discussing. Hamilton city council, like many others, is a dichotomy in many ways. You have 15 councillors who are elected by citizens of the ward they represent. Then you have the mayor, who is elected by the community at large. In that respect, the mayor has a mandate from the entire city, while councillors have a mandate from their ward constituents only.

March 10, 2011

Ward councillors justifiably feel great responsibility to respect the will of the people who elected them. They zealously guard the interests of their ward. That’s parochial politics, and it’s not always a bad thing. But what happens when what’s best for the city overall butts up against the interests of ward councillors?

LRT is an example. Councillors for the wards most heavily impacted by LRT construction and disruption are solidly behind the project because they see its overall benefit to their wards and eventually the city overall. Citizens in other wards don’t agree. They don’t see any direct benefit so don’t support the project. (Though it’s hard to fathom how some don’t see assessment growth and new commercial tax revenue as overall benefits.)

May 11, 2009

Another example: ward boundaries. Looking at the big picture, it’s hard to argue against redrawing boundaries so all citizens have roughly equitable representation. But such changes are trouble for ward-heeling councillors whose wards might have to change for the greater good. And so, we spent thousands on consultants, ignored their work and ended up kicking the can down the road.

Eisenberger’s point was that there must be a better way. Councillors elected at large instead of by ward? A mix of both? A board of control, or “executive committee” as its called in Toronto? A mayoral veto with appropriate checks and balances to prevent abuse?

October 14, 2003

As noted earlier, the discussion is academic. But maybe it shouldn’t be. The current system certainly has its share of drawbacks, although it generally works. But would it be so bad to study, perhaps even pilot, an experiment in doing local government differently? And why not in Hamilton, a city where challenges are overshadowed by ever-growing potential? (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial)

 

Friday April 28, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 28, 2017

LRT to Eastgate Square reborn after council nod

Hamilton’s contentious $1-billion LRT project has survived a high-stakes council vote to push ahead after last-minute provincial agreement to extend the light rail line to Eastgate Square.

April 19, 2017

Wednesday night’s 10-5 vote means provincial transit agency Metrolinx should be able to seek private sector bids to design, build and operate the project — now a 14-kilometre LRT line — as early as this summer.

It also appeared to convince at least some council opponents to pledge reluctant support to the project going forward, despite one last voting opportunity next year to derail LRT when council is asked to sign a final operating agreement.

“I hope that after today we come together as a council and say, we’re moving forward,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who acknowledged “frustration” among LRT supporters at apparent efforts to kill the project. “This has not been a short journey.”

January 14, 2017

Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins, a vehement LRT critic, shocked observers by voting to submit the project study for provincial approval.

He made clear his preference would be to hold a referendum on LRT, but added by next year Metrolinx would have spent $80 million-plus on planning and property purchases. “There’s no turning back at that point,” he said.

Collins said he would continue to criticize the project as required, but also urged councillors to “make the best of a bad situation” and work together to ease challenges for affected residents. He warned the project will be a “gong show” if council and the community remain bitterly divided over LRT.

Ward 9 Coun. Doug Conley voted against submitting the study, but also served notice he would support council’s majority decision thereafter. “I really, really hope that it works out great … I have my doubts,” he said.

December 6, 2016

A late letter from Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca promising a three-kilometre line extension — but no new money — appeared to tip the scales for councillors like vocal LRT critic Terry Whitehead.

Whitehead was criticized by project fans for urging a vote delay earlier this month to investigate the feasibility of an Eastgate extension. He called inclusion of the commercial and transit “destination location” a critical way to strengthen the project for the whole city.

Del Duca said the province will “work with the city to explore ways to reduce costs to accommodate the extension” to Eastgate Square — the city’s original requested eastern end point — rather than stopping at the Queenston traffic circle.

He said project planners expect to reallocate savings from a recent decision to axe a spur line to the James Street North GO station, estimated at between $100 million and $125 million.

But Metrolinx has warned an Eastgate extension could cost anywhere from $150 million to $225 million. Del Duca’s letter doesn’t clearly spell out what would happen if the extension put the project over its $1-billion budget, but notes the change is contingent on “consideration of available funding to address any additional cost requirements, if necessary.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Tuesday April 15, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday April 15, 2017

Crucial vote looms for Hamilton’s LRT project

The survival of Hamilton’s $1 billion LRT project is balancing on a knife-edge.

Hamilton’s LRT gallery

If on Wednesday a deeply-divided council votes against submitting the updated environmental assessment to the province, Mayor Fred Eisenberger and others see it as the kiss of the death.

At this point there’s no telling how the vote will go, other than it’ll be a squeaker.

Only six of the 16 members of council, including the mayor, are firmly committed to keeping the train rolling.

That means, with Robert Pasuta on sick leave and unlikely to attend, Eisenberger must find at least two other supporters.

The most pliable in the mushy middle are probably veteran Tom Jackson from the east Mountain and rookie Arlene VanderBeek from Dundas.

Both are playing their cards close, virtually guaranteeing a cliffhanger.

“I haven’t decided,” says Jackson, who’s grown increasingly cynical about the project since the James Street spur was arbitrarily “de-scoped” by the province.

“I’ve pretty much decided how I’m going to vote, but I’m going to wait for the discussion,” says VanderBeek, noting she needs to find the balance between what’s good for Dundas and the rest of the city.

Stoney Creek’s Maria Pearson, another potential swing pro-vote, is equally guarded. Pearson says she’s still taking in information but admits she has “major concerns.”

To add extra suspense, the results of the councillor-funded poll gauging community support for the project are expected to be released Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the mayor has gone into overdrive — some say belatedly, some say desperately — to rally support. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Friday March 24, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 24, 2017

Budget crunch: Hamilton councillors opt to delay HSR plan, hike parking rates, rec fees to lower tax hike

Hamilton will hit the brakes on its 10-year transit improvement strategy, increase parking rates and recreation fees in a bid to stave off a hefty 2017 tax hike.

January 27, 2017

A full day of budget-busting Thursday also included closed-door discussions about selling or changing operations at community halls and carving nearly 84 full-time positions out of the workforce.

If all the last-minute budget-cutting proposals are adopted, the average tax hike will be whittled down to 2.3 per cent, or an extra $76 for the owner of a $315,000 residential property.

Friday August 15, 1997

But the most controversial decision Thursday came when councillors voted to delay planned HSR service standard improvements until next year, including the addition of new buses, 29 drivers and 34,000 hours of extra service.

The move, which saved $2.1 million, was paired with a corresponding promise to put off a planned 10 cent fare hike until 2018.

November 14, 2015

City budget chief Mike Zegarac argued it made sense to delay the 2017 HSR strategy spending because Hamilton is still awaiting promised federal cash to pay for new buses needed to ramp up service.

“It doesn’t make sense to tax residents now if you can’t use those funds to pay for service changes until 2018,” he said.

But that argument didn’t wash with the union for HSR drivers or transit advocates who delivered a 900-name petition to councillors ahead of the meeting pleading for more investment in the HSR. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)