Questions for newest city mayoral candidate
It was a diverse group — a vicepresident of an automotive company, Unifor’s national auto director, the executive director of Hospice and the 31-year-old president of Build a Dream, a non-profit organization that encourages female students to enter non-traditional jobs. That’s one of the main points of Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Matt Marchand’s campaign for mayor. “Our community needs a leader who can bring people together to achieve results,” Marchand told the small but varied group at his announcement Tuesday. We’ve watched Detroit’s rebirth, he said. Windsor has tremendous potential, too. But “in order for us to reach our potential as a community, we need everybody together. That’s the way to get results — get everyone rowing together in the same direction.”
Marchand won’t talk about Mayor Drew Dilkens, but he’s clearly referring to him. Dilkens’ council is divided, he is perceived to reward and punish councillors based on their support and some votes appear to be arranged before meetings. People should care about this, retiring Coun. Bill Marra has said, because it can hurt the city, putting politics before the community, not to mention stifling debate.
Marchand has brought together business, labour and academia in forums to address key issues like the auto industry. He worked with labour to call for an auto strategy and single sports betting. “I think Matt brings a very diverse perspective,” said Anthony Papa, a senior vice-president of an automotive company who participated in one of Marchand’s forums. “He brings a very interesting partnership with industry, labour and business. I believe he can coalesce all the various factions. I’m hopeful collectively we can drive forward to get more opportunity in Windsor. Our overall household income has dropped. Our industrial backbone has eroded. We need to work harder to diversify.” Said Hospice executive director Carol Derbyshire: “Bringing people together — that’s the secret. I love the way he brought labour and business together. That’s a powerful team we can tap into. For years, people said it couldn’t be done.”
“We can’t continue working in silos,” agreed Unifor national auto director Dino Chiodo. “We need to present a solid front. We’ve got to change the picture for Windsor and Essex County.” But the average voter doesn’t see this. “The mayor is not that vulnerable on the divide,” said Daniel Ableser, a local lawyer and sharp observer of municipal politics who ran in Ward 1 in 2014. “There’s anger with the mayor. I think it’s loud anger, but not large anger. I don’t know that it represents the average voter who doesn’t pay very close attention to municipal politics.” Marchand repeatedly called for “action.” Roads are crumbling. Basements are flooding. Core neighbourhoods are declining. Downtown “needs help.” Despite a seemingly strong economy, “many of our fellow Windsorites aren’t participating, and they’re being left behind,” he said, referring to falling income and the high number of chil- dren growing up in low-income families.
That’s all true, but it’s not fair to say nothing is being done. Council has spent record amounts on roads and sewers. New city incentives are leveraging millions of dollars in investment downtown.
“This is about laying a new direction,” Marchand said. But for a high-profile local leader, who was former mayor Mike Hurst’s assistant for 12 years, has been chamber CEO for six years and led the fight on crucial issues like the auto industry, he offered few specifics. “We’re going to be consulting at length with the community,” he said. “We’d like the community to develop our campaign platform. It’s not about what I think, necessarily. It’s about what the community thinks.” What would he do downtown? “We’ll have more to say as time goes on.”
What does he think about the Mission buying the library? “Again, we’ll be talking a bit more as the campaign goes on.” What about tax freezes? “Again, we’re .... ”
You don’t release your platform the first day, but it is about what Marchand thinks. He’s running for mayor. People expect leadership. And he’ll have to distinguish himself from Dilkens by more than just being a team player. Under former mayor Eddie Francis and then Dilkens, the narrative was largely fiscal responsibility. What is Marchand’s?
There are factions that want change, especially young, progressive activists in the core who want more aggressive change to address everything from poverty to bike lanes. The question is, will they coalesce around Marchand and will that be enough? Despite the many challenges the city still faces, this isn’t a change election, not like the provincial election last week.
“I don’t see a significant mainstream appetite to throw the rascals out,” said Ableser. That makes unseating an incumbent exceedingly difficult. The last time an incumbent mayor lost was 1974, when Bert Weeks defeated Frank Wansbrough.
Marchand also called repeatedly for transparency, a real concern for a council that voted at a closed meeting to reverse its position on the controversial Pelissier Street parking garage. But Marchand didn’t demonstrate transparency.
Asked if he’s taking a leave from his chamber job, he said he’s on vacation for two weeks, then he’ll “get that sorted out.” Asked again, he said, “I’m not going to get into the details at the moment.”
Then the chamber announced it had appointed an acting CEO. Something is going on. If Marchand can’t respond to this, people will ask, can he respond to much bigger, more complex issues as mayor?
For a high-profile leader and the first credible challenger, someone who can provide an alternate vision, spark debate and engage voters, observers say it was not a good campaign launch.
There’s anger with the mayor. I think it’s loud anger, but not large anger. I don’t know that it represents the average voter.