Alayne McGregor
We haven’t had a city election like this in over a decade. In 2022, there is a real race for mayor, and real choices to be made as to the direction of our city.
There’s no doubt that we need a new hand on the tiller. Ottawa’s outgoing mayor and city council have left us with
- a completely dysfunctional transit system,
- a Lansdowne money pit,
- an unsustainable suburb in Tewin,
- a new hospital with an airport-level parking garage that’s likely to cause gridlock all around it, and
- a city where the right to a parking space outweighs the right to a home.
The new mayor will take office in a time of existential dread caused by the never-ending waves of COVID-19 variants, a failing healthcare system, and spiking inflation. Residents were traumatized by the convoy occupation, and the continuing presence of its remnants.
And with the derecho this spring, the tornadoes in 2018, and increasingly-frequent heat events in the summer, we cannot pretend that the climate emergency is something that happens elsewhere.
On top of that, the city itself faces major problems next term:
- serious budget pressures caused by inflation,
- less money coming in this year from Ottawa Hydro because of the derecho,
- the need to rethink and revive public transit,
- continued lawsuits over the LRT P3 contract, and
- a police service that’s overpriced, can’t handle the homeless or mentally distressed, and is tainted by violent deaths and its response to the convoy occupation.
The new mayor will be required to respond both to the provincial LRT inquiry, and to the investigations by the Public Order Emergency Commission and the city’s auditor-general into the convoy occupation.
Running this city is going to be a tough job. Perhaps we need a new approach.
In the last term we had effectively a strong mayor regime, as Jim Watson strong-armed the city with his Watson Club supporters on council, winning most votes 15-9. Urban wards were shut out of decision-making.
Too much city business was conducted in secret. The LRT inquiry has shown that the mayor and city staff hid information about LRT failures from council and the public. And when bus routes were changed for the LRT opening, there was no opportunity for citizens to affect the decision.
There are several questions Centretowners need to ask of candidates for mayor.
Do they have enough experience?
Bob Chiarelli served nine years as regional chair and mayor.
Catherine McKenney has served eight years as city councillor and had previous experience as city staff.
Other candidates do not have this experience. As former mayor Larry O’Brien demonstrated, getting up to speed is not easy.
Is their financial plan practical?
I suspect none of the candidates’ budget proposals will survive contact with next year’s reality, but McKenney, with a 3 percent tax increase has given themself more room to manoeuvre, compared to Chiarelli’s 0 percent or Sutcliffe’s 2 to 2.5 percent.
McKenney has also released a far more detailed fiscal plan, with proposals for finding funding for projects like improving transit. Chiarelli has called for a halt to all new road construction and the Tewin project.
How would they increase affordable housing?
Chiarelli opposes inclusionary zoning (requiring affordable units in new developments).
Sutcliffe has called for reducing development charges for residential housing projects where at least 20 percent of units are affordable.
McKenney has proposed building 1,000 moderately and deeply-affordable homes per year, and using housing allowances to move homeless families out of motels into stable housing.
How would they operate as mayor?
Chiarelli had a track record of working well with and listening to councillors from all parts of the city. He was defeated in 2006 when he didn’t listen to criticisms of his LRT plan.
McKenney has worked hard for and respectfully with the Centretown community and on city council.
Sutcliffe has a strong volunteer record, but has been endorsed by several members of the Watson Club.
It’s up to you
It’s up to you. Look over the candidates’ platforms on their websites. Do they understand the issues? Or are they hand-waving the details and depending on other levels of government?
Pick a mayor who might solve Ottawa’s problems.