Spotlight on mayoral candidates in TV debate
Sendzik defends record against two challengers for city council’s top seat
Mayor Walter Sendzik defended his four-year record Wednesday night in a live TV debate against two mayoral candidates who argued St. Catharines is failing to live up to its potential.
Richard Stephens and Johnny Tischler both said the city isn’t progressing as it should, taking aim at stalled developments at the GM, Port Dalhousie and Queenston Street sites, but providing limited details on how they would move the city forward.
The one-hour debate on YourTV, moderated by Mike Balsom, included 10 questions from viewers and organizations and opening and closing remarks from candidates. The fourth mayoral candidate, Tunde Soniregun, did not attend.
“I’m running for mayor because I feel that the city of St. Catharines has seriously declined over the past 30 years,” said Tischler, the owner of Sonic Tattoo, during his opening remarks. “I’m not running for mayor because of the title or the money.”
Tischler vowed if elected to donate 50 per cent of his salary every year for four years to any cause in St. Catharines, adding that improving the city and the lives of its citizens is more important than any kind of financial compensation.
Tischler also apologized to residents for the fact there is no public debate scheduled for the mayoral candidates this time around, adding it’s not fair because the public has a right to be part of the process.
Stephens, a retired businessperson and farmer, used his opening to say he’s become very frustrated with what he sees as a failed effort to help the city reach its potential.
“Everywhere I look I see things that aren’t as good as they should be or things that are not good at all. I think the city needs a new management philosophy at city hall. I don’t think that the approach we’re taking right now is getting us anywhere.”
He said his primary focus will be to run the city more like a successful business would be run.
Sendzik said the expectation when he was first elected in 2014 was that he would bring a business-like approach to city hall and he’s done that.
He said council brought taxes down to the rate of inflation, brought a customer centre approach to city hall, has an economic development strategy and is looking after infrastructure. He added while those were expected of him, the unexpected has also happened during the course of running the city, including the
opioid epidemic, increasing homelessness and the issue of affordability of homes in the community.
“Those are things that weren’t expected when I was elected in 2014 but through strong leadership we’ve addressed those issues, we’ve come out with ways and means to deal with them,” he said. “They’re not easy. Some of these issues are messy, but you need strong leadership.”
Candidates were asked first about the ongoing saga of the Port Dalhousie condo tower, now in receivership, and their vision for the property.
“To me it’s an example of the incompetence at city hall that we would have three failed attempts to provide development in the heart of Port Dalhousie, none of which have been successful,” Stephens said.
He said Port should have a marine heritage-type development with a consistent look and shouldn’t be a hodgepodge of different architectural styles.
Tischler said he found it hard to acquire the information he needed to weigh in on the property and that ward councillors wouldn’t take his calls.
Sendzik said everyone is frustrated with what’s in the commercial core. He said the city and community worked with the previous owners of the property and is looking forward to working with whoever the new buyer is through the receivership process. With a new secondary plan implemented in Port, he said the new owners will have to follow those guidelines.
Development came up again with a question about eyesores in the city at the former Ontario Street GM plant and Queenston Street hospital.
Stephens again said it is a testament to “incompetence at city hall” and said the current administration doesn’t know how to attract a quality builder. “I think we’re willing to accept anybody that comes through the front door,” he said. “We need to go out and find a world-class builder.”
Tischler said if the city can’t get property taxes out of the former GM property owners, it should get some land so it can build affordable housing units. He suggested it also use one of the newer portions of the Queenston Street hospital building for a shelter.
Sendzik repeated, as he did with the Port Dalhousie question, that’s it’s important for people to understand the sites are not public properties. People own the land and the city has to work with them.
“Anyone who wants to sit there and say we should just go grab another developer and have them come in and present a plan, you can’t do that as a municipality, the Municipal Act prevents that. Leadership isn’t just about throwing out concepts and ideas, it’s about making sure you’re working with whomever is there and you’re trying to expedite the process,” he said, adding that’s why the city has an expeditor position now.
Candidates answered questions about the police complement, integrity in local government, the student population, infrastructure deficits, racism and transit.
A question from Niagara Poverty Reduction Network about whether candidates would support the corporation of St. Catharines becoming a living wage employer spun into a discussion about the GE plant in Welland.
Stephens said the solution to providing good-paying jobs is to attract industry and businesses that pay above average. He added he is frustrated GE chose to locate to Welland instead of St. Catharines.
Sendzik said he was at the table with GE to bring the plant to Niagara.
“This wasn’t a St. Catharines play or Welland play. This was a made-in-Niagara play and we all played as a team and we got it. That’s what I’m proud of.”
But Stephens said while he’s happy to see GE in Niagara, Welland is getting tax benefits from the plant and St. Catharines isn’t.
“We’re the flagship city in Niagara. This is where industry should locate first and foremost. I think that Welland basically out-hustled us. I don’t think that we should be proud of the fact they’re in Welland and not in St. Catharines.”
Back to the living wage issue, Sendzik said from a full-time perspective the city is already there and should be able to achieve a living wage for parttime employees in this next term of council.
Tischler said he would support a living wage as minimum wage is too low. Stephens said he could probably guarantee it for the city but not for private businesses.
The debate will be rebroadcast Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 p.m. and will be posted on the YourTV website in the coming days.