Council gets first taste of Therrien’s mayoral style

For those wondering how Mayor Diane Therrien would put her stamp on this term of city council, Monday offered all sorts of evidence.

Her appointments of committee chairs and council representatives on outside boards and agencies was the most obvious.

Coun. Henry Clarke, a long-time finance and budget chair under several mayors and a 20-year councillor, gets no position.

That makes him the lone man out, in more ways than one. Therrien gave every other councillor some extra responsibility.

Many have two chair positions. Coun. Keith Riel has three, in addition to representing the city on the Peterborough Utilities Inc. (PUI) board.

Clarke wasn’t former Mayor Daryl Bennett's strongest supporter but their views generally aligned. And he favoured the controversial $105-million sale of PUI’s poles and wires side, which Therrien opposes.

With Therrien committed to changing the post-Bennett culture it is no surprise Clarke was in for a downgrade. Cutting him out altogether suggests a ruthless streak more commonly associated with the former mayor.

The way the appointments were handled – Therrien announced she would survey councillors to learn what appointments they preferred, and then didn’t – also undercuts her collegiality message.

These are early days but people will be watching to see if that trend continues.

While appointing Coun. Dean Pappas to Clarke’s former finance seat is not a big surprise, it highlights the lack of business expertise on this council.

Pappas is the second most experienced councillor and runs his own business, a downtown billiards hall. However, his previous portfolio was arts, culture and heritage.

Finance, where he will be point man on the city budget, is a big step up.

Coun. Riel’s expanded role puts him high on the most-trusted list. Riel keeps his slots as chair of both social services and seniors and adds arts, culture and heritage.

Most noticeably he joins Therrien on the PUI board. Riel is a long-time unionist, both during his career on the shop floor at GE and as a Peterborough and District Labour Council executive member. The rest of the PUI board has a distinctly corporate cast, as did former city reps Bennett and retired councillor Dan McWilliams.

Riel deplores the “poles and wires” sale. He will be a disruptor, which is not a bad thing. Diversity of ideas is an important element for a board of directors.

Riel has a tendency to ignore the facts if they get in the way of his beliefs, but he will be one voice among many.

Former mayor Paul Ayotte added to speculation about where this council is headed in a letter to The Examiner. The letter refers several times to Therrien as part of a “group of five” on the last council and accuses her of favouring them over more qualified councillors.

Ayotte’s concern reflects a widely held view of an ideologically divided council.

However, there is a difference between being likeminded and being part of an organized group, which suggests loyalty and support on the big issues.

During her first meeting as mayor Therrien was on the losing side of votes in two ongoing, controversial issues: replacing the Memorial Centre arena floor and delaying a new contract for the Farmers’ Market site.

As we said, these are early days. More evidence of the new mayor’s intentions will surface soon during budget debates.