Bulk of city councillors seeking re-election
Although vote still year away, many want to finish work that hasn’t been completed
With just under a year to go before the next municipal election, most city councillors are talking like they want to run again.
“I’m not going to give up, I’m definitely going to run again,” said Ward 4 Coun. Chris Holt.
While a few councillors said it’s too early to say whether they’ll seek re-election (while adding they love the job) and others said they’ll probably run, Holt said he won’t beat around the bush. He said he’s seeing a lot of hope and movement in the issue he holds dear — making Windsor a more walkable, livable city.
Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, who has been on council since 2003, confirmed in an email that, “Yes, I intend to seek re-election.”
Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin was almost as absolute.
“I plan on running,” he said, adding that the Oct. 22 election is still a long way out and things can change. He’s learned that it takes time to get things done and “for that reason I think a second term is definitely something I’d like to pursue,” he said.
Ward 10 Coun. Paul Borrelli also said he has too many important issues on his plate to complete, including finding solutions for traffic and parking nightmares in the area of Dominion Boulevard and Northwood Street, and pushing ahead with a project to fix Dougall Avenue where narrows under a railway overpass create safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists.
“How can I not run? But I won’t really decide until May 1,” he said, referring to the start of the nomination period, which lasts until July 27.
The biggest question mark on council is probably Ward 7 veteran Coun. Bill Marra, said council watcher Paul Synnott, who last municipal election helped manage seven campaigns.
“I am undecided as it relates to my political future,” Marra said in an email. “I will make a decision and announce my decision within the next six to eight months.”
Marra, who was first elected in 1994 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003, is being encouraged by some critics of the current mayor, Drew Dilkens, to run for mayor, said Synnott. “But I just don’t see it,” he said, explaining he doubts Marra would run for mayor due to the major time requirement and Marra’s current demanding job as a Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare vice-president.
Synnott said he doesn’t see anyone else on the horizon legitimately challenging Dilkens.
When asked about running again, Dilkens said he’s busy delivering on the promises he made while campaigning in 2014 and that there’s lots of time left to consider whether to run in 2018.
“Respectfully, it is early to outright say it because then everyone gets in the campaign mode,” the mayor said. “I think people are right to take a pause and say, ‘You know what, I’m thinking about it.’ ”
Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis had a similar response. “As of right now, going into November, it’s too early to talk about re-election,” he said.
Attempts to reach Ward 1 Coun. John Elliott were not successful. Ward 7 Coun. Irek Kusmierczyk said in an email he’s “not interested in talking elections,” that there’s lots of work still ahead of council, including the 2018 budget.
Ward 5’s Ed Sleiman said that he loves what he does and is getting plenty of positive feedback from constituents, so he’d like to run again.
“I think I’m still good, I’m still sharp (at age 74) and I fight very hard for my constituents to get the fair share for my ward,” he said.
Ward 9’s Hilary Payne is 85 and if re-elected would be 90 by the time the next term ends in 2022. But age never stopped Hazel McCallion, Payne remarked, referring to the legendary Mississauga mayor who was 93 when she left office in 2014.
“The standard answer I give, and it drives people nuts, is I don’t know any reason not to run. That sounds like an answer but really it’s not,” said Payne, who believes that age is not as big a factor as it once was.
Payne, who was the City of Windsor’s chief administrative officer for 25 years, was first elected in 2010. He won the last election by the fewest votes (177) in the 10 wards, over Kieran McKenzie, a seasoned NDP organizer who ran a full-bore campaign. The second smallest margin was in Ward 10, where Borrelli won by 197 votes over banker Jim Morrison.
Both Morrison and McKenzie are sounding pretty definite about
running again. Synnott, who is managing Morrison’s campaign, said wards 9 and 10 are looking like the most vulnerable wards.
The current council settles many of its controversial issues with 6-4 votes in the mayor’s favour and Borrelli and Payne often side with
the mayor, said Synnott.
“If Kieran wins it’s 5-5, and if Borrelli goes (down) you’re looking at 6-4 the other way,” said Synnott, who said he helped Borrelli’s campaign last election but felt betrayed when Borrelli changed his position about the need for an auditor general.
Synnott added that defeating an incumbent is tough. “Windsor is a real incumbent town. You don’t often see a sitting councillor knocked off.”
McKenzie, who is leaning heavily toward running again in Ward 9, said the biggest predictor of any election outcome is who holds the seat currently. That’s why there’s a rush of candidates whenever an incumbent decides not to seek reelection.
Morrison said things are “pointing in the direction” of his running again in Ward 10. He said he got off to a late start last time, but he’s set to retire at the end of this month and already planning. “This time I’m very prepared,” he said, adding he’s being encouraged to run by a lot of people. But he added he won’t necessarily vote with the block of four, who often include Holt, Marra, Bortolin and Kusmierczyk.
“I’m not anti-Drew Dilkens and I’m not on the other side,” he said. “I’m going to be someone who, if I do run, will put residents first and vote with my conscience.”
The next Ontario municipal election is set for Oct. 22 next year.
Respectfully, it is early to outright say it because then everyone gets in the campaign mode. I think people are right to take a pause and say, ‘You know what, I’m thinking about it.’