Fall vote to bring changes to Region council chambers
No matter the what the final vote tallies are on Oct. 22, Niagara regional council is headed for change.
Eight politicians, striding the political divides at Niagara Region, have decided not to seek re-election, meaning new faces and ideas will influence the next iteration of council.
Port Colborne Coun. David Barrick, Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs, Grimsby Mayor Bob Bentley, Lincoln Coun. Bill Hodgson, Niagara Falls Coun. Bart Maves, Niagara-on-the-Lake Coun. Gary Burroughs, Port Colborne Mayor John Maloney and St. Catharines Coun. Andy Petrowski are all standing down.
That could open the door to a change in the balance of power on council, which has often been divided on partisan party lines.
The most anticipated regional race, the historic first election of the regional chair, isn’t happening.
Premier Doug Ford announced Friday his government will introduce legislation to scrap the races and return to chairs appointed by regional councils.
In 2016 the previous Liberal government changed the Municipal Act to require regional chairs be selected by an at-large vote.
Regional Chair Alan Caslin of St. Catharines, Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn, former Welland mayor Damian Goulbourne and Niagara Falls resident John (Ringo) Beam had all signed up to run to become Niagara’s first elected at-large regional chair. Aaron Scott Michael Stack signed up for the race Friday morning after word of Ford’s announcement.
So, instead, Caslin and Augustyn have both chosen to run for regional council seats in their municipalities. Goulbourne and Beam have both said they are letting their candidacies for chair stand, with Goulbourne saying he is hopeful the race will still be on because he believes regional council can still vote to have an elected chair in October.
Ford has said Queen’s Park is “taking a pause” on regional chair races and that the affected regions, including Peel and Muskoka, will be able to choose if they want an elected chair for the next election in 2022.
Ford has also said scrapping the election for chair removes a “new layer of politicians” introduced by the Liberals. However, whether the next chair is elected or appointed by council, the size of regional council remains unchanged.
The Standard asked Ford’s office for clarity, but in an email a spokesperson repeated the premier’s statement that a layer of politicians was being removed.
Caslin faces a deep field of 26 candidates in St. Catharines, including several well-known politicians, including former longtime St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, veteran regional councillors such as Bruce Timms, Brian Heit and former St. Catharines mayor Tim Rigby, and a cadre of newcomers.
Augustyn, meanwhile, faces longtime Pelham councillor Brian Baty and newcomers Jim Hagar and Diana Huson.
To see the list of all candidates running in each of Niagara’s 12 municipalities, visit that municipality’s website.