Burlington Life — Joan Little

Election heating up

Burlington's election is heating up, and it will be interesting to watch the fall-out from the latest publicity about Jack Dennison (ward four) and Cam Jackson (mayoralty candidate).

 

The Spectator reported that Dennison's taxes for 2005 and 2006, in the amount of $335,000 are still unpaid. The taxes are from his company, Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sportsclub. According to the report he let his taxes lapse during club expansion rather than borrow. For a councillor running for re-election on a platform of fiscal responsibility that's an oxymoron. Legal, yes. Ethical? You judge. To my mind a councillor or mayor should operate to a higher standard than others, and set an example, not use the system.

 

 

Dennison is a bright guy - one of the quickest minds on council, but surely he can see how taxpayers would be aggravated. If we all withheld our taxes Burlington would have to borrow just to keep the city afloat. According to the article about eight other businesses are in the same tax situation.

 

He earns $84,311 as councillor, and that will jump to $87,168 December 1st if he's re-elected.  Because his company is under contract to provide recreational services to the city, he also receives city income from contract fees. And a side issue - often he has to declare a conflict of interest, and cannot participate in discussions or vote on recreational issues because of this.

 

In a discussion among half a dozen friends, opinion was split. Most thought he would still be re-elected easily, but one was convinced there would be an "anybody-but-Dennison" reaction. Four others are running in ward  four - Industrial sales rep and 20-year resident, Ross Hicks, successful businessman, and president of Burlington Oldtimers' Hockey, Frank McKeown, environmental company employee and community volunteer Jeff Rottar, and Halton welfare case worker and volunteer John Versluis (taking an unpaid leave from Halton during the campaign). All are very credible. Check their web sites at www.burlington.ca and follow the links to elections.

 

The other interesting web site is www.anybodybutcamformayor.blogspot.com , obviously not established by a Cam Jackson fan club. One part is captioned "because the steaks are too high". It's become the topic of conversation in coffee shops and at social gatherings, and has had a lot of postings.

 

It will be interesting, election night, to see if these issues translate into voter anger.

 

Please, turn out and vote Monday.

 

Diverse platforms in Ward 5

Burlington's ward five lies between Appleby Line and Burloak south of Dundas Street. It contains the older stable southern part, and the brand new Orchard community, and the nine candidates running for council are as diverse as the area.

 

All nine were at last week's candidates' meeting:

    Software expert and former school trustee David Abbott

    Lawyer Bill Bastien, past president of Junior Achievement, past Chair of Ducks Unlimited

    Vice-president of the Ontario General Contractors' Assoc, former purchasing manager, City of Hamilton, Steve Bauld

    Director of non-profit SEDI (Self Employment Development Initiatives), Casey Cosgrove

    Financial Planner and Cogeco co-host of Taking Care of your Future, Rick Goldring

    Communications and Marketing Manager for Toronto Convention and Visitor Bureau, Vera Kurnitzki-West

     Former teacher and law clerk, and community volunteer Marnie Mellish

     Project Manager and Planner for a Burlington engineering consulting firm, Sam Sarraf

     Mediator and paralegal, former OPP officer, and community volunteer Fred Suter

 

I wish space permitted more about the backgrounds and accomplishments of these talented individuals. Regardless of who wins, there is not a loser among them.

 

Their platforms are fairly similar - all recognize the issues - traffic, need to increase transit, development intensification, taxes, loss of green space. Their resoponses were thoughtful.

 

ABBOTT appeared more tuned to school board than council issues, and theorized that more development would yield more taxes, allowing a high school in the Orchard community.

 

BASTIEN often commented that he would need to know the implications of action on competing interests, which was refreshing on a stage where it's easy to promise everything. He was firm, however on the importance of protecting green space.

 

BAULD referred frequently to his Hamilton experience, including drafting specs for that city's recycling program, stated that staff could be an excellent resource, and supported zoning bylaws preventing monster homes.

 

COSGROVE stressed the importance of public consultation, noted that closing schools was shortsighted, stated air quality should be a priority, and supported making a council work well together.

 

GOLDRING had the most informed responses. He stressed the importance of retaining the city's urban boundary, advocated greening of the city, and cautioned that spending had to be contained.

 

KURNITZKY-WEST said the Official Plan is almost utopian, that growth should be directed to underutilized areas, that development should be sustainable, and green building standards should be implemented.

 

MELLISH emphasized community safety, and said fear had to be prevented. Rather than build an EFW plant, she suggested waste should be reduced. She questioned whether school boards should own land at all, given their changing priorities.

 

SARRAF warned of infrastructure needs. He supported recycling of organic and building waste, and suggested investigating whether Toronto's excess garbage could help subsidize a proposed Halton EFW plant.

 

SUTER suggested diverting growth away from the east end lakeshore area, and suggested using dial-a-bus in the transit system. Roundabouts could be considered, he said, and cost/benefit was essetial in assessing an EFW plant.

 

I thought Goldring and Bastien stood out for the reasonableness of their answers, but all were credible. Voters have a tough job this time.

Meeting the candidates

Burlington council salaries have been deservedly increased. Effective Jan 1 a
Burlington/Halton councillor will earn $87,168, plus benefits, plus a generous expense account
of $6,900, and the mayor will earn $149,168. Public school trustees will earn $13,159 Dec 1, also
merited, but I disagree adamantly with the $8,153 retroactive chunk per trustee, and the extra
$1,882 per month until the end of the term. Retroactivity for elected officials is wrong, wrong,
wrong!
     On Oct 11 Burlington enjoyed its first "meet-the-candidates" night, sponsored by Rambo
Creek Ratepayers, with capable John Boich moderating. Ward two (downtown) candidates spent
over two hours outlining platforms and concerns, and responding to questions.
     Six candidates are running. Boich used a novel approach. Candidates were selected by draw,
and invited someone to introduce them. The introducer and candidate shared ten minutes.
     Five candidates were present: Dave Bedini. Cheryl Craig, Rob Forbes, Ann Marsden and
Peter Thoem. Judy Morrison missed the meeting for medical reasons, but sent an emissary.
     Questions ranged from traffic, community character, protecting Burlington's identity, the
power of the OMB, and assessment, to mention a few. Several questions related to the proposed
location of a McMaster University campus downtown.
     Only perennial candidate Ann Marsden lacked campaign literature. She alone said she did not
know about the province's "Places to Grow" legislation which is putting such pressure on the
city. Growth and building height were key issues.
     None had an answer to traffic, although many zeroed in on making transit go where and when
people need it, and Dave Bedini drew applause noting that the narrowing of Lakeshore west of
Locust might have been done for the right reasons, but was a bottleneck, needing review.
     Candidates were asked about working with school boards on common issues. All agreed this
was worth while, and all agreed a seven-person council was too small, and should be reviewed.
Increased density and shrinking green space were also top-of-mind issues.
     Bedini, Forbes and Thoem, I thought, answered particularly well overall, and. Thoem had a
practical suggestion to reduce garbage truck stops (and emissions). Two neighbours could put
their garbage at the same spot, reducing stops by 50 per cent. Craig and Marsden spoke more in
generalities. It's too bad Morrison was not able to attend.
     These are strong candidates, a real change from many elections when you were tempted to
write "None of the above" on the ballot. Please vote - they've worked hard, and deserve a high
turnout.

 

 

Burlington politics

I'm a political junkie, especially for municipal politics, because council members aren't
fettered by dogma. They don't have to be trained seals, regurgitating a party line. We can actually
choose people we believe share our priorities, but it's not easy to differentiate.
In 2003 few candidates relied on web sites. Now web sites are the flavour de jour. Several
Burlington candidates already have them. Trouble is, a good public relations person can design a
great one; so you don't know if the site reflects the candidate or the candidate's PR person, and
that also holds true for campaign literature. Meeting candidates personally is ideal - even better at
a candidates' forum, where you can assess how they think on their feet. Do they know much
about Burlington and Halton, or are they out of their depth?
Having served on city and regional councils, and now observing regularly from the sidelines, I
understand the workload and complexity of the issues. Anyone who thinks he/she can do the job
in a few hours a week is dead wrong. Burlington's council is too small (only seven). Members are
stretched too thin, and they also serve on regional council. Each sits on three standing
committees at the city, and one at the region. Budget committees at both levels meet infrequently,
but for a couple of months at budget time the reading and workload are mind-numbing. The other
city and regional committees, and councils, meet every three weeks. City planning issues eat lots
of hours, and require extensive public consultation.
Halton region has 20 councillors plus a chair. Each sits on one regional standing committee.
But it's the extra ABC's (agencies, boards, and commissions) and ad hoc committees that devour
time at both levels. For instance, nine councillors sit on conservation authorities (which also have
standing committees), three on the Police Services Board (with its heavy workload) others are on
hospital boards, business liaison committees, agricultural and environmental bodies, social
service agencies, library boards, and other community organizations. Then, councillors handle
ward concerns and host ward meetings.
Today Burlington councillors are well paid - about $85 thousand plus benefits, and the mayor
about $143 thou. There are a some good candidates. Any suggestions how to separate the
outstanding from the mediocre?

Welcome to thespec.com's Burlington Life

I remember a sing-song I used to chant as a little kid about ten, growing up in Quebec: "I'm
glad I am who I am, where I am, when I am", and the same holds true today.
Smart people plan their lives - happy ones go along with the flow. Because my parents moved
17 times by the time I was 21, living then in Waterdown, I wanted a settled life.
Marriage brought me to Burlington. Two children later (who also live in Burlington) I became
active in the community. I attended my first Burlington council meeting when I read in the Spec
in 1972 that the Halton Wentworth Waterfront plan was to be discussed, and it might not be
passed.
As they say, the rest is history. Council was an eye-opener, providing the incentive for some
friends and me to work to elect a new ward candidate in 72. Flushed with our success, we sought
another candidate in 1973, when the advent of Regional Government changed the number of
Burlington wards, and moved to two councillors per ward. No-one we approached was available,
so I became the candidate by default, although that had never been in my plans (what plans?) I
won against a former councillor, who reminded voters I was a mere housewife, who had never
handled more than grocery money. That line didn't sell even then!
1973 to 1988 were fascinating years, with exposure to new ideals and problems first on
city council, and later on city and regional councils,.
A council benefit is the opportunity to sit on interesting committees, boards and commissions.
I was on several waterfront committees over the years. I loved my 19 years on the Halton Region
Conservation Authority (now called Conservation Halton) and my nine years on the Niagara
Escarpment Commission, to which I was re-appointed in 2004. The Joseph Brant hospital board
was fascinating - a whole new world.
How about the Halton Sewer rate committee, which I chaired - doesn't everyone at a
party want to talk about sewer rates? Countless hours, and uncountable dollars, were devoted to
finding a Halton landfill site, and plans for its sewage sludge disposal. Unlike Toronto, Halton
faced its responsibilities.
It was fun later, at the invitation of the Spec, to write a Burlington column. They told me they
were looking for someone familiar with the Burlington and Halton scene. I guess all that
knowledge about garbage and sewage impressed someone.
I'm looking forward to adding my two cents worth regularly on the Burlington Life blogs.

Joan Little

Readers are encouraged to comment on all Burlington Life blogs. Simply click on the "comments" link below.