Kitchener Election Talk

[UrbanWaterloo]

Kitchener Election Talk 2010
Voting Day is October 25, 2010. Campaigns have started. This is a place to discuss them.

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/election/KitchenerCityHall.png

Candidates (http://app.kitchener.ca/election/whos_running.aspx)

Mayor | Ward 1 | Ward 2 | Ward 3

Carl Zehr (http://www.zehr4mayor.ca/): 29939 (79.2%) Frank Kulcsar: 4072 (10.8%) Don Pinnell: 3805 (10.1%)Total Votes: 37816| Scott Davey (http://www.scottdavey.info/): 2348 (54.0%) Moni Lagonia (http://www.monilagonia.com/): 1999 (46.0%)Total Votes: 4347 | Berry Vrbanovic (http://berryonline.weebly.com/): 3290 (69.3%) Joyce Palubiski: 1460 (30.7%)Total Votes: 4750 | John Gazzola: 1727 (75.6%) Bob McColl (www.vote-bob.com): 431 (18.9%) Paula Sossi: 125 (5.5%)Total Votes: 2283

|

Ward 4 | Ward 5 | Ward 6 | Ward 7

Yvonne Fernandes (www.vote-yvonne.com): 1507 (47.7%) Bruce Brubacher (www.brucebrubacher.com): 806 (24.5%) Florence Carbray (www.florencecarbray.ca): 535 (16.9%) Rod McNeil: 314 (9.9%)Total Votes: 3162 | Kelly Galloway (http://kellygalloway.ca/): 1499 (75.3%) Sunder Pal Rajasansi (http://sunderpal.ca/): 262 (13.2%) Lorne Bruce (www.lornebruce.ca): 157 (7.9%) Narine Sookram (www.narine4councillor.com): 74 (3.7%)Total Votes: 1992 | Paul Singh (www.votepaulsingh.ca): 1209 (29.1%) Jeff Chatterton (www.jeffchatterton.ca): 1124 (27.1%) Chris Farley (http://chrisfarley.ca/): 850 (20.5%) Jamie Vasey (www.votevasey.ca): 619 (14.9%) Steve Sachs (http://www.stevesachs.ca): 250 (6.0%) Henrik Pedersen (http://sites.google.com/site/electhenrikrpedersen/): 99 (2.4%)Total Votes: 4151| Bil Ioannidis (http://bilioannidis.com): 2254 (45.7%) Jacob Smola: 1546 (31.3%) Susan Koswan (http://votesusankoswan.blogspot.com/): 747 (15.1%) Michael Windley: 388 (7.9%)Total Votes: 4935

|

Ward 8 | Ward 9 | Ward 10

Zyg Janecki (www.zygjanecki.com): 1908 (43.8%) Scott Piatkowski (www.scottpiatkowski.ca): 1783 (41.0%) Bill Pegg (http://billpegg.wordpress.com/): 660 (15.2%)Total Votes: 4351| Frank Etherington (http://franketherington.ca/): 1689 (43.2%) Debbie Chapman (www.debbiechapman.ca): 1688 (43.1%) Sandy MacFarlane (http://www.sandymacfarlane.webs.com/): 188 (4.8%) Graham Yeates (www.grahamyeates.ca): 179 (4.6%) David Kuhn (www.DavidKuhn.ca): 133 (3.4%) John Schill: 36 (0.9%) Total Votes: 3913 | Daniel Glenn-Graham (http://dan4ward10.com/): 1452 (33.1%) Denis Pellerin (www.denispellerin.ca): 1248 (28.4%) Terry Marr (http://www.terrymarr.ca): 846 (19.3%) Ferguson Gary: 845 (19.2%) Total Votes: 4391

http://app.kitchener.ca/election/img/ward_boundaries_2010.gif

[Spokes]

New faces but no major reforms in local elections
December 28, 2009 | By Jeff Outhit, Record staff | http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/649378

WATERLOO REGION — You’ll see an earlier election date and you’ll see two city councils expand in the municipal campaign that launches Jan. 4.

But you won’t see the major reforms that a pro-reform lobby group was seeking.

Highlights of the 2010 municipal election:

It’s been moved ahead to Oct. 25, to escape miserable November weather. The term remains four years.

Kitchener is adding four councillors. Cambridge is adding two councillors. The total number of municipal politicians in the region will grow by six to 57.

Waterloo residents and some others will be asked by referendum if they want to continue fluoridating drinking water.

Pro-reform residents had called on politicians to merge some local councils in 2010, saying this would streamline municipal government. Their effort, launched in 2008, got little traction and politicians chose instead to tinker with the election.

“We’re disappointed but we’re not discouraged,” said Jim Erb, spokesperson for the group Citizens for Better Government. He said he hopes candidates make reform a municipal election issue.

Local mayors applaud the provincial government for advancing the election to the fourth Monday in October. It’s hoped this change will improve turnout.

“The date will probably make it more convenient for people,” said Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr, who has not decided whether to seek re-election.

The new date shortens the long municipal campaign by a few days, sets the election in potentially better weather, and gives local governments more time to prepare for the inauguration of new councils.

Cambridge council is expanding to nine members in the election. Kitchener council is expanding to 11. Proponents contend expansions will improve governance and spread the council workload around.

“It will allow for a wider diversity of opinion on council, and of course representation,” said Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig, who is seeking re-election. “I think that’s very good news for everybody.”

“You have a chance of having more representation and more views on a subject, so that’s a good thing from a democratic standpoint,” Zehr said.

Zehr expects the next Kitchener council will be mostly newcomers, as council opens up four new seats and some incumbents decline to see re-election.

Waterloo council is staying at eight members. Regional council is staying at 16, including seven mayors. Four townships are staying at five members each.

The municipal campaign formally launches Jan. 4, the first day candidates can register for office. They must register before they can raise money or spend it.

Zehr and Craig want local politicians to debate municipal reform during the next council term. Regional Chair Ken Seiling doubts reform will happen until provincial politicians signal their interest in shaping it.

“Clearly the province hasn’t shown an interest in touching municipal structures,” said Seiling, who has not announced if he will seek re-election.

Ontario has made changes to financing rules for the municipal election. The province will also require more accessible voting places.

[Spokes]

Candidates gear up for municipal elections

January 04, 2010
By Melinda Dalton, Record staff

WATERLOO REGION — Municipal elections may still be months away, but the race is on already in several communities across Waterloo Region.

Monday marked the first official day candidates could register for the October elections in the three cities and the region.

First out of the gate in Waterloo was Mayor Brenda Halloran, who registered her bid for a second term.

Close behind was Waterloo Ward 6 Coun. Jan d’Ailly, who informally announced his intention to run for the mayor’s job in December, but officially registered Monday.

D’Ailly has served as the councillor for the city’s Central-Columbia neighbourhood since 2003.

Also stepping forward Monday in Waterloo was Coun. Diane Freeman, who will campaign to keep her spot as Ward 4 councillor, and Dr. Anne Crowe, a family physician, who will run for councillor in Ward 6.

Waterloo is the only city in the region where voters will elect the same number of council members as in the previous election.

Kitchener and Cambridge will expand their ward system and council tables to 10 and eight members respectively.

Community activist Scott Piatkowski announced early Monday morning he’ll be running for Kitchener’s Ward 8 seat, one of the city’s newly created wards which will include the Forest Hill, Victoria Hills and Westmount neighbourhoods. Piatkowski ran for the Ward 6 seat in the last municipal election and lost out to the incumbent, Christina Weylie.

He was the only person to file nomination paperwork in Kitchener on Monday.

Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr has not yet publicly announced if he’ll run again. In December, Zehr became the city’s longest serving mayor. He was first elected in 1997 and won his fourth consecutive election in 2006 with nearly 68 per cent of the vote.

In an email response Monday, Zehr suggested he won’t be rushing to a decision on any potential re-election campaign.

Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig and Ward 5 Coun. Pam Wolf formally submitted the paperwork needed to launch their campaigns Monday, as did Ward 1 candidate, Donna Reid.

Both Ward 5 and Ward 1 will look different following the fall election.

The southeastern portion of Ward 5, below St. Andrews Street, will be moved into Ward 6.

The boundaries of the current Ward 1 will be redrawn to include the portion of Hespeler north of the Speed River as well as a part of Preston.

Wolf, a former public school teacher, was a political newcomer in 2006 when she unseated the Ward 5 incumbent.

Reid, a retired teacher, ran and lost to the current Ward 1 councillor, Rick Cowsill, in the same election.

Regional Chair Ken Seiling has yet to make an announcement on whether he’ll run again for the position he’s held for 25 years.

Candidates in all three cities, the region and the townships have until Sept. 10 to register for the Oct. 25 election.

To run for municipal office, you must:

— Be 18 or older

— Live, own property or be the spouse or common-law partner of someone who owns property in the municipality

— Be legally allowed to vote

— Not be disqualified by legislation from holding office

— Pay the nomination filing fee of $100 for councillors and $200 for mayor or regional chair.

For more information on the nomination process, see the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s 2010 Municipal Election Guide at www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page5606.aspx, check your city’s website or contact the city clerk in your municipality.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/650114

[Spokes]

City of Kitchener has put up it's Election 2010 website - http://www.kitchener.ca/election/

EDIT: All Kitchener residents should take note of the new Ward boundaries - http://www.kitchener.ca/election/new.aspx#ward_maps

[UrbanWaterloo]

Super-Stickied this thread so it will be easier to follow as we get closer to the election. 32 weeks to go. Is anyone here considering running for a position?

[Spokes]

Weylie not seeking re-election

April 05, 2010
By Melinda Dalton, Record staff

WATERLOO REGION — At least one sitting member of Kitchener city council won’t be on the ballot in the next municipal election, but the political future of the other six remains unclear.

Coun. Christina Weylie, who represents the city’s core residents in the current Ward 6, confirmed Monday she will retire when present term expires in November.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the residents of Kitchener and the Region for 26 years,” she said in an email. “I wish the new council many successes.”

Weylie won nine elections during her political career and has served as chair on several city committees including development and technical services, property standards, Heritage Kitchener and environmental.

Already, three candidates have come forward to run for the spot in her ward, which will be reconfigured as new boundary lines are drawn to accommodate the city’s new 10 ward system.

Weylie is the only person on the six member-plus mayor council to publicly confirm her plans come election day.

Candidate registration started in January but none, including Mayor Carl Zehr, has declared, according to the city’s election website. Candidates have until September to do so.

Zehr said Monday he is still “pondering” another run at the mayor’s job. He’s the city’s longest serving mayor, first elected to the post in 1997 after serving nine years on council.

Coun. Geoff Lorentz said he will make an announcement about his political future in May, but wouldn’t reveal what that announcement would be. Councillors Kelly Galloway, John Smola and John Gazzola said they haven’t made a decision yet. Coun. Berry Vrbanovic couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

The next council will be four members heavier as Kitchener expands from six wards to 10. There are still no candidates in wards 1, 2, 3 and 6. All of the others have at least one person in the running.

Kitchener is the only city in the region where not a single sitting councillor has registered as a candidate.

In Waterloo, all but two councillors, Ian McLean and Mark Whaley, have declared their candidacy. McLean said he’ll make an announcement about his plans in the spring.

Coun. Jan d’Ailly’s Ward 6 will be represented by someone new as D’Ailly makes a run for the mayor’s job. Current Mayor Brenda Halloran is also seeking re-election.

In Cambridge, Coun. Linda Whetham is leaving her ward race to challenge Mayor Doug Craig. All other Cambridge councillors have declared. With Whetham running for mayor, there will be at least three new faces on Cambridge council next year as they also expand their ward system by two.

At the regional level, only Chair Ken Seiling and Waterloo councillor Jane Mitchell have stepped forward to throw their names in the race. The 16-member council is composed of the mayors of all the cities and townships and nine elected seats. Current regional councillor Jake Smola has decided to run for Kitchener council this election in Ward 7.

The fall election takes place on Oct. 25 and candidates have until Sept. 10 to register their nomination.

For more information on new ward boundaries or how to register as a candidate, see the election sections on the websites of the three cities and the region or contact the city or regional clerk.

mdalton@therecord.com

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/693980

Well I for one am glad she's not running again. We need a change in council. Weylie was for the most part against forward movement and progress for downtown, and did not think big enough in my opinion. Either way she wasn't getting my vote.

[Brenden]

So which one of our Wonderful Waterloo members is going to be running?

[UrbanWaterloo]

Well is anyone on here named Dan? Just think of all the money we'd save on marketing! :p

[Spokes]

Ya you'd think it'd inspire someone to run for office.

Fine if I must, I will! haha.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Zehr running again
570 News Apr 23, 2010 9:47:31 AM
http://www.570news.com/news/local/article/47885--zehr-running-again

Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr will seek re-election in the municipal election set for October 25th.

"Much progress has been made in improving the quality of life of Kitchener residents, but the work is not complete," Zehr said in a news release.

"I am running for re-election because I want to continue to help build a healthier and stronger city and I want to continue to improve the lives of our residents."

Zehr was first elected as Mayor of Kitchener in 1997.

[Shawn]

Carl only needs to win the Mayoral race for approx 20 more years before he matches Hazel McCallion's current record. Hazel is 89 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_McCallion) years old. Carl Zehr is 65 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Zehr) so he still has many political years ahead of him if we use Hazel as a comparison.

[panamaniac]

Carl only needs to win the Mayoral race for approx 20 more years before he matches Hazel McCallion's current record. Hazel is 89 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_McCallion) years old. Carl Zehr is 65 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Zehr) so he still has many political years ahead of him if we use Hazel as a comparison.

There can be no comparison! :)

[Spokes]

Another perspective


Zehr seeking another term in the mayor’s office

April 23, 2010
By Terry Pender, Record staff

KITCHENER — Ending months of speculation, Mayor Carl Zehr announced Friday he will seek a fifth term in this fall’s municipal elections.

Zehr became the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, surpassing Dom Cardillo’s record, in December 2009.

After winning the mayoralty in 1997, Zehr was re-elected three more times.

“I feel good. I have a lot of energy. I still have the desire to serve my community,” Zehr said in interview Friday.

Zehr, 65, wants to help advance several large initiatives that were started during this current term, including improved parks and trails, particularly in the suburbs, and expanding the knowledge economy.

“We have had a great success in many things, but there are many things that are left undone,” Zehr said.

A certified general accountant by training, Zehr has helmed city council as the once-mighty manufacturing base shrank and the knowledge sector grew.

“I know there are some people in our community having a difficult time, I recognize that,” Zehr said of the decline in manufacturing.

Support for a growing knowledge sector is a good way to offset the loss of manufacturing jobs, he said.

A steadfast supporter of helping both local universities establish downtown campuses, Zehr lives in the suburbs, but has championed the city centre since he was first elected mayor.

tpender@therecord.com

If he's reelected it should be great news for the development of downtown. Im excited to see how all candidates for both mayor and council focus on downtown, and what their visions for it are.

[Spokes]

Kitchener council will have new look after fall vote

July 07, 2010
By Melinda Dalton, Record staff

WATERLOO REGION — Nearly half the faces on the 11-member Kitchener council will be new ones this fall.

It means that for the first time in years, the municipal election — which will be held Oct. 25 — won’t be dominated by incumbents.

“One of the things that has characterized Kitchener city politics is the very tight grip that incumbents have had on council,” said Bob Williams, a retired University of Waterloo political science professor who helped the city reconfigure its ward system in 2008.

“The fact that there will be change is going to be something new for Kitchener to deal with. I don’t think that’s a bad thing that there’s some change. The degree of change is going to be a big issue in terms of learning to work together and what priorities new people might bring.”

To date, only two councillors — Berry Vrbanovic and John Gazzola — as well as Mayor Carl Zehr have registered as candidates. Add in the city’s four newly created wards and that leaves at minimum six and at most eight wards without an incumbent.

In the 2006 municipal election, only one council seat changed hands.

Kelly Galloway won the South Ward after the incumbent — her brother Mike Galloway — decided not to run. Galloway has yet to decide whether she will make another bid for the seat.

Ward 5 Coun. Geoff Lorentz, who narrowly won his seat in the last election, announced last week he will run as a Kitchener representative on regional council. Lorentz previously served as a regional councillor from 1992 to 2000, when regional councillors also served on their local councils. His career on Kitchener council spans 22 years.

Ward 3 Coun. John Smola has not declared and could not be reached for comment. Victoria Park (Ward 6) Coun. Christina Weylie confirmed earlier this year she will not seek re-election.

As of Wednesday, 20 candidates have registered as mayoral or councillor candidates in Kitchener. Gazzola and Vrbanovic are currently running uncontested. There is one other mayoral candidate registered.

The hottest race so far, with four candidates already declared, is the new Ward 9, which takes in much of Weylie’s former constituency.

Without familiar faces to fall back on, voters in many city wards will have to “do their homework” — get out to meetings, listen to candidates and read up on their platforms, said Williams.

“There is a downside to just picking the familiar name because it may be that people are selected because people aren’t willing to invest the time to learn,” he said. “If you’re going to be an effective citizen, I think this time you are going to have to pay more attention.”

Kitchener is the only city in the region with only a fraction of sitting councillors confirming their names will be on the municipal ballot this fall.

In Waterloo, all councillors except Ian McLean and Mark Whaley have confirmed they’ll seek re-election.

McLean, who has served two terms, announced Tuesday he will not run again. Whaley said only that he’s “as yet undeclared.”

That leaves Waterloo’s Ward 6, and Ward 7 — vacated by Coun. Jan d’Ailly, who is challenging Mayor Brenda Halloran for council’s top spot — without incumbents.

In Cambridge, all of the current members of council are registered as candidates. Coun. Linda Whetham is running for mayor so, with the addition of two new wards, three seats in that city will be without an incumbent.

At the regional level, four incumbents have registered as candidates for the nine elected seats, including the regional chair. The mayors of the region’s seven municipalities are automatically members of regional council.

Candidates have until Sept. 10 to register for the election.

mdalton@therecord.com

[Spokes]

I know it's a little early to be thinking election, but as a resident of ward 9 in Kitchener, I'll be seeing some change in council (thankfully) so I thought I'd shoot the candidates an email. Its been a great way of getting their ideas on a lot of issues, I'd recommend others do the same.

Might even help us put together some info here for when the fall rolls around?

[Spokes]

Municipal election 2010: Ward boundaries no obstacle to candidates
Some will run in areas other than where they reside

August 03, 2010
By Melinda Dalton, Record staff

WATERLOO REGION — Whether voters are aware of it or not, many candidates registered for the upcoming municipal election are running in wards they do not call home.

In Cambridge, nearly half the 24 people running for a spot on the next city council live outside the ward they want to represent.

In Kitchener, seven out of 22 candidates registered are running outside their home ward.

There are no regulations stipulating where a candidate can run within a municipality in Ontario. To be eligible to be on the ballot, you have to prove you live or own land in the city and are legally allowed to vote.

Robert Williams, a retired political science professor from the University of Waterloo and municipal politics expert, said despite a widely held perception that a city councillor ought to live in the area they represent, it’s not necessarily a predictor of a successful or effective candidate.

“It can be done by people who live elsewhere but can persuade the community that they are a good choice and they’re a legitimate voice,” he said.

“It’s really about the candidate trying to sell himself or herself as an informed voice for some of the interests in the ward.”

Kitchener Coun. John Gazzola, who has represented Ward 3 since he was elected in a 2002 byelection, does not live in that ward. He is the only sitting councillor who does not live in the ward he represents. His first race for the Ward 3 seat pitted him against eight other candidates, only three of whom lived in the area.

In Gazzola’s case, Williams said, he sold himself as someone with a broad view of the interests of the municipality and a lot of experience, given his former position as the city’s chief administrative officer.

It proved successful and he’s been re-elected twice in that same ward.

In the 2006 election, seven out of 26 candidates in Kitchener ran outside of their wards of residence.

Len Carter was one of those seven. He lived in Ward 3 but mounted an ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Ward 2 council seat. He did so in part because he supported Gazzola and didn’t want to run against him.

“It was about who I wanted to see on council,” he said. “I didn’t run a huge campaign, but I wanted (incumbent Berry Vrbanovic) to know that there was some opposition there.”

Part of what could be contributing to this year’s ward-jumping could be the fact that the number of wards was expanded and each one now represents a smaller area, Williams said. Kitchener has moved from a six to 10 ward system, shifting around some of the dividing lines and splitting up some neighbourhoods that once shared representation. Cambridge is expanding from six to eight.

“People may not have found in the end that they live in the area that they were interested in in the past, so they may find that this doesn’t work as well as it would have with the smaller areas,” Williams said.

In Cambridge, 11 out of the 24 candidates registered are running out of their home ward. In Waterloo, all 13 candidates for ward councillor are running in the ward where they live.

Candidates have until September 10 to declare their candidacy. The municipal election takes place Oct. 25.

Where the candidates live:

KITCHENER

Ward 1
Moni Laconia – lives in Ward 2

Ward 2
Berry Vrbanovic – lives in Ward 2

Ward 3
John Gazzola – lives in Ward 8

Ward 4
Florence Carbray – lives in Ward 4
Yvonne Fernandes – lives in Ward 4
Paula Sossi – lives in Ward 3

Ward 5
Lorne Bruce – lives in Ward 8
Daryl Martin – lives in Ward 5
Sunder Pal Rajasansi – lives in Ward 5

Ward 6
Henrik Pedersen – lives in Ward 9
Steve Sachs – lives in Ward 3
Jamie Vasey – lives in Ward 6

Ward 7
Jake Smola – lives in Ward 7

Ward 8
Zyg Janecki – lives in Ward 8
Bill Pegg – lives in Ward 8
Scott Piatkowski – lives in Ward 8

Ward 9
Debbie Chapman – lives in Ward 9
David Kuhn – lives in Ward 6
Sandy MacFarlane – lives in Ward 9
Graham Yeates – lives in Ward 9

Ward 10
Daniel Glenn-Graham – lives in Ward 10
Denis Pellerin – lives in Ward 10

...

[UrbanWaterloo]

Looks like we now know what Frank Etherington was referring to when he wrote "this is my farewell column as I move on to other challenges. (http://news.therecord.com/Opinions/EditorialOpinion/article/752479)"

He's a candidate in Ward 9 (http://www.kitchener.ca./election/candidates.aspx?optid=70210&optname=Ward%209).

[mpd618]

He's a candidate in Ward 9 (http://www.kitchener.ca./election/candidates.aspx?optid=70210&optname=Ward%209).

There's now five candidates running in Ward 9, which has the part of downtown Kitchener south of King Street. Do the ward boundaries have anything to do with population?

[Spokes]

Im not sure about population. Thats a great question now with all the boundaries being redrawn.

As for Frank Etherington, Im happy to see yet another candidate in ward 9. As a resident I've talked to a few candidates and have been impressed by some things, not impressed by others. I think ward 9 is going to be quite the race this fall.

[smably]

There's now five candidates running in Ward 9, which has the part of downtown Kitchener south of King Street. Do the ward boundaries have anything to do with population?
I don't know, but it is pretty ridiculous that downtown Kitchener is split right down the middle. Living north of King Street, my ward excludes the pharmacy campus, the Tannery, Victoria Park, and half of downtown Kitchener -- yet it includes the Aud, Frederick Mall, and Breithaupt Park. I wouldn't mind so much if the wards were smaller, but with their current size, downtown could easily have its own ward.

[EdM]

As a ward 9 resident I was a bit surprised by the split along King st. when I first saw the new boundaries. However, I guess one advantage of this arrangement is that we should have two councilors with a vested interest in downtown, rather than having a single downtown ward.

[panamaniac]

I don't know, but it is pretty ridiculous that downtown Kitchener is split right down the middle. Living north of King Street, my ward excludes the pharmacy campus, the Tannery, Victoria Park, and half of downtown Kitchener -- yet it includes the Aud, Frederick Mall, and Breithaupt Park. I wouldn't mind so much if the wards were smaller, but with their current size, downtown could easily have its own ward.

I see what you are saying, but given the tendency of councillors in ward-based municipal governments to put their ward (and neighbourhood association) interests before those of the city at large, I would think that two aldermen looking out for the interests of Downtown would be a plus.

[mpd618]

It might help to link to the Ward Boundary Review (http://www.kitchener.ca/city_hall/ward_boundary_review_phase3.html). There's a list of populations in the final report, which indicates that the new ward 9 is right about average.

[Spokes]

I don't know, but it is pretty ridiculous that downtown Kitchener is split right down the middle. Living north of King Street, my ward excludes the pharmacy campus, the Tannery, Victoria Park, and half of downtown Kitchener -- yet it includes the Aud, Frederick Mall, and Breithaupt Park. I wouldn't mind so much if the wards were smaller, but with their current size, downtown could easily have its own ward.

Ya it would make sense to have Downtown as it's own ward, just like uptown is in Waterloo.

Maybe having two wards represent it gives it more strength though?

[smably]

It might help to link to the Ward Boundary Review (http://www.kitchener.ca/city_hall/ward_boundary_review_phase3.html). There's a list of populations in the final report, which indicates that the new ward 9 is right about average.
True, but Ward 10, my ward, is "well above optimal" -- i.e., significantly under-represented.

I also don't like that the new wards explicitly and deliberately over-represent suburban greenfield areas and under-represent built-up urban areas, based on the idea that the suburban ones are supposed to have more growth potential. I would have greatly preferred option B, both in terms of representation and boundaries. As a downtown resident, of course I'm going to say that downtown should have more wards -- but I do feel that there are legitimate reasons to have smaller wards in the core.

[chriscm]

I also agree with the statement that Ward 10 is under-represented.

I've spoken to Denis Pellerin in Ward 10 and feel his campaign is strong and he actually listens to my suggestions. I hope he has the opportunity to represent our community.

You can check him out online: Denis Pellerin | Ward 10 Kitchener Election 2010 Council Candidate (http://www.denispellerin.ca)

What is everyone elses thoughts on Ward 10 this coming election?

[Spokes]

I also agree with the statement that Ward 10 is under-represented.

I've spoken to Denis Pellerin in Ward 10 and feel his campaign is strong and he actually listens to my suggestions. I hope he has the opportunity to represent our community.

You can check him out online: Denis Pellerin | Ward 10 Kitchener Election 2010 Council Candidate (http://www.denispellerin.ca)

What is everyone elses thoughts on Ward 10 this coming election?

Welcome to Wonderful Waterloo!

I've haven't heard much about him, but Im anxious to do some reading. Nor have I read a lot about ward 10 yet, but I plan to. Im a ward 9 resident so ward 10 impacts me quite a bit as well.

[smably]

The other candidate, Dan Glenn-Graham, doesn't seem to have a web site. He does have a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/Dan4Ward10Kitch), and he's following Sarah Palin (!). Anyone know anything else about him? His answers to these questions from 2003 (http://www.7generations.net/region_kitchener.html) seem mostly reasonable.

[Spokes]

The other candidate, Dan Glenn-Graham, doesn't seem to have a web site. He does have a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/Dan4Ward10Kitch), and he's following Sarah Palin (!). Anyone know anything else about him? His answers to these questions from 2003 (http://www.7generations.net/region_kitchener.html) seem mostly reasonable.

Red flag, red flag. :D

[chriscm]

Red flag, red flag. :D

I agree.

Thats quite an old interview from 2003, seems like hes trying to get in to the new age-web based promotion but is missing the mark. If you read his Twitter it says: "Wow- I'm tweeting! (Hi Mom!). Not a techno-dinosaur, but not sure when I would've done this if I weren't running for City Council- Ward 10" a techno dinosaur who follows Sarah Palin.

What are your thoughts guys?

P.S. Thanks for the welcome to the fourms!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Some recent additions...

Bruce Brubacher has entered Ward 4's race.
Kelly Galloway is now running in Ward 5.
Jeff Chatterton has registered for Ward 6.
Michael Windley is a candidate in Ward 7.

[David]

Hi everyone,

I’m pleased to see that the municipal and regional elections are being discussed here. I’m not sure if any other candidates have joined this forum or have posted here but I thought that I would. I’d like to thank the administrators of WonderfulWaterloo.com for helping to ensure that this sites membership has the opportunity to stay informed about the coming election and all candidates.

I would also like to let everyone know that my website will be up shortly. Over the coming months DavidKuhn.ca will be a place where I will communicate with you my thoughts and feelings on issues we face in our wonderful home that is Kitchener. In addition to my website, I also have a Facebook Group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=109731882381400&ref=ts) where I will be posting information about the campaign and local events.

One of my goals as a member of city council will be to help increase communication between the city of Kitchener (example its elected officials) and city residents. It is my hope that I can work in cooperation with sites like WonderfulWaterloo to achieve that goal.

People have many questions going into this election period:

Who are the candidates? What do they stand for? And are they really going to change anything?

Well, I guess that last one is up to you, right? In the end, you are the voters. I’m sure a lot have many more detailed questions as well and I want to answer as many as I can. So please send me an email (david@davidkuhn.ca), or send me a private message here. Heck, send me a text message if you want!

More information on myself and all candidates can be found here (http://www.kitchener.ca/election/candidates.aspx?optid=70210&optname=Ward%209)

I’m not going to promise you the moon, mostly because I can’t deliver the moon. No one else can either so please keep that in mind. What I can promise you is an ear along with strong advocacy on behalf of the people living in Ward 9 and all the citizens of Kitchener.

I look forward to getting to know many of you and hearing your thoughts and concerns.

Thank you very much,

David Kuhn

[Spokes]

Welcome to WonderfulWaterloo David! Looking forward to hearing your opinion about things not just Kitchener election related, but about everything Waterloo Region related.

[Jamie Vasey]

Hi everyone,

It's great to see more and more forums like this one, working to ensure the voters are as informed as possible before going to the polls this October. Kudos to the Admin(s) and all involved in making it possible.

I do have a website up at www.votevasey.ca, a facebook page, twitter account (votevasey@twitter.com), and an email address (votevasey@gmx.com)- all designed to give the residents of this community an opportunity to let me know what issues matter most to them.

Like David, I believe that the main job of a city councillor is to constantly engage the people of their ward, and ensure it is their voice that gets heard.

I encourage every to find out as much about each candidate running in their Ward as possible. Find out what experience they have representing the people of your community. Look in to how well they understand the people and the challenges of your neighbourhood. Finally, will they be accessible to you and provide you with all the information you need to voice an informed opinion, or will they be selective in the information they are feeding you?

As a 30 plus year resident of the "new" ward 6, I know this is going to be a time of transition for the people of this community. This makes being informed crucial.

I also have to echo David's thoughts on candidates who "promise the moon". I can honestly say, based on the people I've talked with, the voters of our community are too smart to fall for that.

As for myself, I promise only to listen to the people of my community, voice their concerns, and work tirelessly on their behalf.

To learn more about my qualifications, or to simply let me know what matters to you, please visit my website ( www.votevasey.ca )

Thank you all. I look forward to an active forum.


Jamie Vasey
City Council Candidate
Ward 6- Kitchener

[Spokes]

Welcome to WonderfulWaterloo Jamie. Like I said to David, I look forward to you sharing your opinions not just in the election forum, but in all of the other ones as well, and answering any questions members might have.

[Spokes]

Who's there?
570 News Aug 25, 2010 03:32:22 AM
http://www.570news.com/radio/570news/article/93219--who-s-there

An analysis of events attended by municipal politicians shows some startling differences in the number of times each elected official turned up at a community event. It's no surprise that the mayors of Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo attend the most events on council but the number of events attended by different councillors can vary widely. The difference was most stark in Kitchener, where Councillor Berry Vrbanovic attended 114 community events last year, compared to just 6 attended by Councillor John Smola. Smola announced on Monday that he would be seeking a seat on regional council in the fall.

In Cambridge, Councillor Linda Whetham shows the most 2009 dates booked on her calendar with 132, while Councillor Rick Cowsill recorded 45 events attended but says the actual number was much higher.

In Waterloo, Councillor Jan d'Ailly attended 60 events in 2009 while Councillor Ian McLean attended 16.

Both Whetham and d'Ailly, who attended the most events as councillors in their respective cities, have entered the mayoral race in October.

Event attendance is not tracked for regional councillors although records show that Chair Ken Seiling attended more than 500 community events in 2009.

In providing the information, each municipality noted that tracking attendance is an inexact science that does not take into account events councillors attend without recording it in their calendars. There are also the issues of neighbourhood meetings and attendance at formal commitments such as boards that do not get captured in the data. And attendance can also be influenced by a councillor's role as deputy mayor or by personal circumstances that prevent them from attending scheduled events.

These theories are supported by Robert Williams, Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, and an expert in municipal affairs. "The dilemma becomes who's keeping track of it and what counts for it. (For example) does merely turning up for five minutes amount to the same thing as being there for a couple of hours? There are also different types of meetings that might be counted," Williams explains.

Still, Williams believes the record does show a certain level of engagement, no matter how rudimentary. And he thinks that accounting can provide information for voters preparing to mark a ballot this October. "Is this someone who has made the time and effort to go hear what's going on, to participate in what may be happening in a particular ward or a particular community centre or whatever it might be."

For people seeking office, possibly for the first time, Williams says this type of information can also serve as an indicator of what comes with the office. "Yes there are committees, yes there are liaison roles. But this is the other part of it, essentially being out there, interacting with the community."

Events attended by members of council in 2009 were as follows:

KITCHENER
Mayor Carl Zehr - 329
Councillor Berry Vrbanovic - 114
Councillor Kelly Galloway - 101
Councillor Christina Weylie - 94
Councillor John Gazzola - 35
Councillor Geoff Lorentz - 29
Councillor John Smola - 6

...

[David]

Hey everyone,

I just got an email about this today and wanted to share it with you.

Rogers TV will be hosting a debate for candidates in Ward 9 on MONDAY, OCTOBER 18th, LIVE AT 7PM on Rogers Cable 20 in Waterloo Region. There will also be encore broadcasts of the debates on Rogers TV and Rogers On Demand Online.

The debate format is as follows:

The moderator will introduce the candidates. Each candidate will have 1 minute for an opening statement. Responses to questions are 1 minute each and a candidate who is named in another candidate’s response to a question will be granted a 30 second rebuttal. Closing statements are either 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on the amount of time left in the debate.

Questions for candidates will come from three sources. A panel comprised of media representatives and/or political science academics, viewers phoning in questions during the debate and questions submitted through Twitter.
____________________

I don't have any more information at this point, but if you have any questions please let me know and I'll try and get answers for you. I was only informed about the debate for Ward 9, so I can't speak about the other wards or Mayoral debate.

[Jamie Vasey]

WARD 6 Rogers TV Municipal Election Debate

Hello all,

I just confirmed my participation in the Ward 6 Candidates Debate. It will be live Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7pm on Rogers Cable 20.

The debate will last one hour, and they will be taking questions from the public via phone and Twitter. I hope the Ward 6 Community (and the city as a whole) get actively involved in this debate, and use the opportunity to ensure they have no doubts about who will best represent them.

David pretty much covered all the other details in his above post.

Thanks for conveying those David.

[Spokes]

Isn't it a little weird that they will only take questions via phone at twitter? Email would make sense but having to register for twitter? Thats dumb

[Jamie Vasey]

It does seem a little odd that email isn't an option. However, by doing it via Twitter, it is completely transparent. Anyone can follow the Twitter account and see exactly what questions are being asked, and what questions (if any) get left unasked. With email, the voters have no way of seeing what questions were submitted. I'm not sure if this was actually part of the thought process when the producers made the decision to go this way, but I believe it will allow the viewers to form a more complete opinion of the debate.

[David]

I agree with Jamie's points actually. That being said, I don't use Twitter myself and I wouldn't expect others to sign up just for the debates. I've tried twitter, and really I am not a fan. It can be hard enough to articulate yourself in print/type without having to 'dumb it down' to fit 140 characters. I'm in my 20s so I get what the point of using twitter would be to the producers, it’s about (as Jamie touched at) reaching a different group. However I think email may be a better option for some.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Updates

Steve Sachs is running in Ward 6.
Susan Koswan has entered the Ward 7 race.

[David]

I was wondering who else would make a run at 7. Recent events for Jake must be like blood in the water.

[UrbanWaterloo]

With only 220 hours left to file nomination papers we're still looking at potential acclamations in Wards 1, 2 & 3.

[Scott Piatkowski]

Hi everyone.

Those interested in my campaign can find me online in the following places:

Website: http://www.scottpiatkowski.ca
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128446175579
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScottPiatkowski
YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ScottPiatkowski

If you want to phone me, I'm at 519-579-7717.

[Spokes]

Welcome to Wonderful Waterloo Scott. Excited to have you contribute to the forums.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Ward 1 is no longer going to be an acclamation. Scott Davey has entered the race.

Rod McNeil is running in Ward 4.

[Spokes]

So we know when the Ward 6 and 9 debates are on tv, do we know when the others are going to be? Same for Waterloo, the Region, Cambridge, the Townships?

[Jamie Vasey]

I don't know the dates for any of the other debates, but I did pull this from the Rogers Cable 20 website...

“With a fall Municipal Election around the corner, we’ve ramped up our election coverage to help viewers make an informed choice before they head to the polls,” continued Wechsler.

Beginning Monday, September 13 at 7 PM, The Local Campaign offers viewers the most municipal election coverage with exclusive live and repeat coverage of 36 Waterloo Region Ward and Mayoral Candidate debates. On Election Night, Monday, October 25 at 8 PM, Rogers TV offers up-to-the minute Waterloo Region results and reactions with The Local Results."

So I guess you can take from that there will be a debate every night from the 13th on at 7pm. (Until they are completed).

Jamie Vasey
Candidate for City Council
Ward 6- Kitchener

[Spokes]

Thanks Jamie!

[David]

Thanks Jamie!

Yeah, thanks. I wish the rogers tv site was more detailed though

[EdM]

So I guess you can take from that there will be a debate every night from the 13th on at 7pm. (Until they are completed).


I wonder if there will be a way for those of us without cable to watch recordings of the debates?

[Urbanomicon]

I wonder if there will be a way for those of us without cable to watch recordings of the debates?

I haven't personally checked, but Rogers owns a number of radio stations (such as 570 News) which may air the debates. Additionally, you may be able to watch it streaming online.

[Jamie Vasey]

I haven't personally checked, but Rogers owns a number of radio stations (such as 570 News) which may air the debates. Additionally, you may be able to watch it streaming online.

The email I received inviting me to the debate indicated it would be simulcast on 570 News, and available from Rogers On Demand Online.

Hope this helps.

Jamie Vasey
Candidate for City Council
Ward 6- Kitchener

[David]

* Frank Kulcsar
* Don Pinnell
* Carl Zehr

Anyone heard anything yet from these Kitchener Mayoral Candidates?

[UrbanWaterloo]

I haven't seen any mayoral campaigning yet.

Candidates Update
Joyce Palubiski has made Ward 2 a race.
Paul Singh is running in Ward 6.
Bil Ioannidis is a candidate in Ward 7.

[Frank Kulcasr]

I have heard of only one and it is not not Carl Zehr, we don't see eye to eye.

Don Pinnell I have seen him only once I believe, he was announcing that he was running for Kitchener council at the House of Friendship

[UrbanWaterloo]

Bob McColl is a candidate in Ward 3. Paula Sossi is now a candidate in Ward 3 (previously Ward 4).

Ward 5: Daryl Martin has withdrawn. Narine Sookram has entered the race.

Chris Farley is a candidate in Ward 6.

John Schill has entered the race in Ward 9.

Ferguson Gary & Terry Marr are candidates in Ward 10.

In total there are 41 candidates vying for 11 positions on Kitchener City Council. There have been no acclamations. For the complete list of candidates, check out Post 1 (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/569-Kitchener-Election-Talk?p=10935#post10935).

[David]

Wow, Wards 6 and 9 are going to be busy this election. Wonder how much empty greenery (lawns) we'll see :P

[Jamie Vasey]

While I am glad to see we had no acclaimations, I am always a little skeptical when a candidate waits until the last day or two to register. Either they are entering on a last minute whim, or they don't believe they need to put the same effort into their campaign.

[David]

While I am glad to see we had no acclaimations, I am always a little skeptical when a candidate waits until the last day or two to register. Either they are entering on a last minute whim, or they don't believe they need to put the same effort into their campaign.

Hey, I waited until April to file but I started really considering in late 2009. I respect anyone who wants to run for election. Putting your name out there, you're still taking a big chance regardless of when you toss your hat into the ring.

[Jamie Vasey]

Hey, I waited until April to file but I started really considering in late 2009. I respect anyone who wants to run for election. Putting your name out there, you're still taking a big chance regardless of when you toss your hat into the ring.

Don't misunderstand me, I respect and am thankful for anyone who is will to give of themselves to make our city a better place. In fact, I registered after you did. My comment was simply reflective of me as a voter, not as a candidate.

As you have eluded to in the past, the voters are really going to need to do their homework this election- particularly in wards that have 6 candidates. I believe part of that homework is understanding why the candidate wants to be a city councillor, and determining how hard they are going to work on your behalf.

For many voters, the best indicators of how hard a candidate will work on your behalf are past city/community involvement, and how hard they work during the campaign.

You'll forgive me, but I believe a candidate who spends months engaging the people of the community (like you have) shows a greater committment to the community than someone who comes along a few weeks before voting day.

[Scott Davey]

Hello,

I'm a candidate for councillor in Ward 1. I just wanted to pass along the information that my website is live and located at www.scottdavey.info. I'll be checking back here occasionally so if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to respond.

Thank you,
Scott Davey

[David]

Welcome to the board Scott. I think it is great that we have other candidates joining. At least the one's who have announced their presence anyway.

[David]

City of Kitchener Debates (http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=12&rid=22&sid=3679&tid=30110)

Mayoral Debate
Thursday, September 30 LIVE at 7 PM
Repeat Thursday, September 30 at 10 PM

Regional Councillor Debate
Monday, September 20 LIVE at 9 PM

Ward 1 Debate
Monday, September 27 LIVE at 9:30 PM

Ward 2 Debate
Wednesday, September 15 LIVE at 9:30 PM

Ward 3 Debate
Wednesday, September 22 LIVE at 9 PM

Ward 4 Debate
Tuesday, October 5 LIVE at 7 PM
Repeat Tuesday, October 5 at 10 PM

Ward 5 Debate
Wednesday, October 13 LIVE at 7 PM
Repeat Wednesday, October 13 at 10 PM

Ward 6 Debate
Wednesday, September 29 LIVE at 7 PM
Repeat Wednesday, September 29 at 10 PM

Ward 7 Debate
Tuesday, September 28 LIVE at 9 PM

Ward 8 Debate
Monday, September 27 LIVE at 7:30 PM
Repeat Monday, September 27 at 10:30 PM

Ward 9 Debate
Monday, October 18 LIVE at 7 PM
Repeat Monday, October 18 at 10 PM

Ward 10 Debate
Tuesday, September 16 LIVE at 9 PM

[smably]

Ward 10 Debate
Tuesday, September 16 LIVE at 9 PM
Is it today (Tuesday, the 14th) or Thursday (the 16th)?

[DebbieChapman]

I'm running in Ward 9. I agree that it will be a very interesting election and that voters need to do their research. It seems most unfortunate that the Rogers' debate in Ward 9 will be held after all of the advanced polls.

I invite you to visit my website and blog at http://www.debbiechapman.ca

Debbie Chapman
Candidate for City Councillor
Ward 9, Kitchener

[Scott Piatkowski]

Just 18 hours of advance voting in Kitchener, and in only five locations (meaning that there are five wards -- including mine -- without an advance voting location). Is it any wonder that turnout is so low in Kitchener?

[David]

Is it today (Tuesday, the 14th) or Thursday (the 16th)?


I just noticed that myself. It is Thursday for the Ward 10 debate.

I copied that list from Rogers and I didn't notice the typo, sorry.

[David]

Just 18 hours of advance voting in Kitchener, and in only five locations (meaning that there are five wards -- including mine -- without an advance voting location). Is it any wonder that turnout is so low in Kitchener?

I agree Scott. If we want people to get out and vote, we should first make sure that it is actually accessible to everyone to do so. This is again something that seems so simple and yet it is overlooked.

[SeekForth]

I would very much like to participate in this election, but I don't know what I should be asking of my candidates.

Does anyone have any questions that they would like asked to the Ward 7 Candidates?

I am planning on sending them each a batch of questions.

Thanks!

[Sandy MacFarlane]

Jamie, I agree about the timing. I had been thinking about running for councillor in Ward 9 Kitchener for sometime, when I decided I declared in the first week of January 2010 and there was nobody running in Ward 9. I didn't care who my competition was. I was and still am confident in my abilities to be a great councillor for the people of Kitchener and I knew what issues are facing the city.That really should be all that matters.

Sandy MacFarlane
Candidate Ward 9 Kitchener
www.sandymacfarlane.webs.com

[Jamie Vasey]

SeekForth,

First off, thank you for wanting to participate this election. Second, thank you for wanting to make an informed vote.

I live (and am running) in Ward 6, so I can't recommend any Ward specific questions. However, I think there are a few questions the voters should ask all candidates, regardless of Ward.

1) What does a city councillor do?
- I recommend this over the "Why do you want to be a councillor?" because all candidates will have an answer prepared for that. Asking a candidate what a councillor does gives you a good idea of how well they actually understand the job they claim to be qualified for.

2) What qualifies you to be a councillor?/What experience do you have representing the people of this community?
- I lump these two together because often times the answers will overlap. But feel free to ask both seperately.

3) Why are you running in this Ward?
- This would be for any candidates that are running in Wards they don't live in. Essentially what you want to know is how well they understand your community. It's not about geography. It's about their vested interest in the Ward; and their knowledge of the people, history, and challenges of the ward.

4) Ask "How?"
- Every candidate running will tell you what they want to accomplish if elected, but unless they have an efficient and fiscally responsible way of accomplishing them- it is unlikely the other 9 councillors or the mayor will support it. It also helps to seperate empty campaign promises from genuine goals.



These questions will help to show you how hard a candidate has and will work on your behalf, and also how equipt they are to do the job effectively. They should also help you uncover which candidates are in touch with the issues that matter most to you.

I hope this helps.

Jamie Vasey
Candidate for City Council
Ward 6- Kitchener

[Sandy MacFarlane]

I was biking through Victoria Park and Downtown Kitchener today (as I do everyday) and I was wondering why some candidates think it's ok to put up their signs on public property( i.e. boulevards, church property, street corners etc.) ? They don't have permission to do so, so why is it ok?

Sandy MacFarlane
Candidate Ward 9

[Jamie Vasey]

I was biking through Victoria Park and Downtown Kitchener today (as I do everyday) and I was wondering why some candidates think it's ok to put up their signs on public property( i.e. boulevards, church property, street corners etc.) ? They don't have permission to do so, so why is it ok?

Sandy MacFarlane
Candidate Ward 9

Sandy,

Simply put- it's not. However, the city only has one bylaw officer for signs. The reality is, unless a complaint gets filed- it will likely go unnoticed.

It's happening in every ward to some degree. With so many new candidates (and yes, I am one of them), and recent changes to the bylaws- it is somewhat understandable that it happens. Perhaps sending a friendly email would be in order- as each offense could result in a $5000 fine. I'm sure if you were on the other side of the fence you would appreciate the "heads up".

[Shawn]

I'm surprised how many Candidates in 2010 still don't have a website. I'm in Ward 1 and only one of my two candidates seems to have a website where you can read about their platform. Moni Lagonia only seems to have a Facebook Page, and personally, I don't want to have to "like" her or be her "fan" or ask to be her "friend" so I can read about where she stands on election issues.

Come on people!! Web Surfers are Voters too!

[smably]

Found this by trial and error: http://www.monilagonia.com/

I think most of the candidates have web sites, but the city and region don't do a good job of getting that information out. It needs to be on the candidate lists.

[Shawn]

Found this by trial and error: http://www.monilagonia.com/

I think most of the candidates have web sites, but the city and region don't do a good job of getting that information out. It needs to be on the candidate lists.

Thanks smably! I googled her and all I found was her Facebook. :)

Her link has been added to this Kitchener Election Talk 2010.

[Henrik R Pedersen]

Hi I'm Henrik Pedersen candidate for ward 6 city councilor and my details (including why I am running in ward 6 and not ward 9) can be found here:

http://sites.google.com/site/electhenrikrpedersen/

[theknitter]

Thanks smably! I googled her and all I found was her Facebook. :)

Her link has been added to this Kitchener Election Talk 2010.


I also live in Ward 1, thanks for the link, but after reading her website I'm still not sure where she stands on any issues???

[Shawn]

I also live in Ward 1, thanks for the link, but after reading her website I'm still not sure where she stands on any issues???

You're right theknitter, it's very thin on any detail. All I saw on her site was "My only agenda is to leverage all the potential of this great city and its people. I will work tirelessly to get that job done, that's my commitment to you."

I hope once the Wonderful Waterloo Candidates questionnaire gets sent out she responds. At least with her rival, Scott Davey, you can clearly see his position on many of the key issues for both the Ward and the City of Kitchener. Don't get me wrong, her website is a good "start" because the information it does contain is important to know the "person" (at least to me), but with no solid position on any key issues outlined, I am still a bit in the dark over who to vote for.

[theknitter]

You're right theknitter, it's very thin on any detail. All I saw on her site was "My only agenda is to leverage all the potential of this great city and its people. I will work tirelessly to get that job done, that's my commitment to you."

I hope once the Wonderful Waterloo Candidates questionnaire gets sent out she responds. At least with her rival, Scott Davey, you can clearly see his position on many of the key issues for both the Ward and the City of Kitchener. Don't get me wrong, her website is a good "start" because the information it does contain is important to know the "person" (at least to me), but with no solid position on any key issues outlined, I am still a bit in the dark over who to vote for.

I agree that it's important to "know the person". I wish she outlined her position as well. I also read an article in the Record a while back or maybe it was on here (read so much on this election, I forget) that she doesn't even live in Ward 1, so I'd also like to know why she isn't running where she lives and what she can do for where "we" live when she isn't even in the area. I hope we find out where she does stand or I will vote with the one who I feel isn't skating around the issues. Maybe the debate will tell us more, let's hope.

[Sandy MacFarlane]

Agreed , I will take that into consideration next time I see one. Now, there are some that know the rules and by-laws and still do it full out knowing that there is only one by-law officer to keep it under control.
Sandy,

Simply put- it's not. However, the city only has one bylaw officer for signs. The reality is, unless a complaint gets filed- it will likely go unnoticed.

It's happening in every ward to some degree. With so many new candidates (and yes, I am one of them), and recent changes to the bylaws- it is somewhat understandable that it happens. Perhaps sending a friendly email would be in order- as each offense could result in a $5000 fine. I'm sure if you were on the other side of the fence you would appreciate the "heads up".

[Scott Piatkowski]

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/780268

No online links to Waterloo Region candidates: Municipalities worry about ‘contributing’ to a campaign

"If you’re looking for the online home of the candidates running in your ward, don’t expect direction from your municipality. Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the Region won’t include websites on their master lists of candidates, even though larger cities such as Toronto and Mississauga include links to candidate homepages on their sites. That decision has left some local candidates questioning why, in a digital age and one of the most tech-savvy communities in the country, the municipalities would choose to leave out information that could help inform voters."

I think that local municipalities are taking an absurd positon on this matter. Linking to a website is no different than providing a phone number. If not all candidates have websites (and one of my opponents does not), that is no reason to punish those who do. And, if they are concerned about the content of external li...nks, they simply need to post a disclaimer indicating that the city is not responsible for the content of external links. Let's make it easier for people to get information on candidates. Who knows, it might even inspire them to vote.

[Scott Davey]

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/780268

No online links to Waterloo Region candidates: Municipalities worry about ‘contributing’ to a campaign

"If you’re looking for the online home of the candidates running in your ward, don’t expect direction from your municipality. Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the Region won’t include websites on their master lists of candidates, even though larger cities such as Toronto and Mississauga include links to candidate homepages on their sites. That decision has left some local candidates questioning why, in a digital age and one of the most tech-savvy communities in the country, the municipalities would choose to leave out information that could help inform voters."

I think that local municipalities are taking an absurd positon on this matter. Linking to a website is no different than providing a phone number. If not all candidates have websites (and one of my opponents does not), that is no reason to punish those who do. And, if they are concerned about the content of external li...nks, they simply need to post a disclaimer indicating that the city is not responsible for the content of external links. Let's make it easier for people to get information on candidates. Who knows, it might even inspire them to vote.

I agree 100%. Getting your message out so voters can make an informed decision is difficult and expensive. Websites are cost efficient, and don't impact the environment the way campaign flyers and signs do. This stance is needlessly self-serving and surprisingly regressive for a region such as ours.

[smably]

What a weird and nonsensical policy. It's like refusing to list a candidate's phone number, because if you called they might try to convince you to vote for them.

Besides, the cities already give candidates an opportunity to publish their web site. It's called an email address. Have the cities not noticed that many candidates public list an address of the form dan@danformayor.ca?

Whoever's making this decision is a luddite or a bad lawyer.

[David]

http://news.therecord.com/article/783574

LIVE STREAMING OF KITCHENER'S MAYORAL DEBATE VIA TheRecord.com

[Jamie Vasey]

Just a quick reminder to the people of the Ward 6 community, tonight is the candidates debate. It will be at 7pm, live on Rogers Cable 20. Unfortunately, there will not be a 570 News simulcast for this one due to the Jays game.

You can also participate by calling, emailing, or tweeting your questions.

I hope many of you tune in, and that it helps you make an informed decision.

Jamie Vasey
Candidate for City Council
Ward 6- Kitchener

[jay]

The article in the Record today about last nights debate shows that Carl Zehr doesn't have too much competition. The two guys running against him look like a bunch of jokes. The one guy was wearing a baseball cap and the other one was a auto worker who hasn't worked in 10 years...They showed they were jokes because of what they said they would do with the downtowns and taxes. They are obviously not smart enough to understand how things work. Which does not surprise me given what I read.

[BusyBerliner]

FYI, I recieved the below invite yesterday:


"The Neighbourhood Associations of Ward 9 are hosting an All-Candidate Meeting for those running for the Ward 9 Councilor position on Tuesday, October 5th, 7-9 PM in the Victoria Park Pavilion.

Every candidate who is running in the ward has been invited to attend this very important meeting.

Everyone who wants to meet the candidates running in our Ward is invited to this evening. Each candidate will be allowed one minute to introduce themselves and their platform. They will then be presented with six prepared questions and sent to them in advance. This will be followed by written questions from the floor with timed responses to allow each candidate a reasonable time to respond. The evening will conclude with any opportunity for both candidates and the neighbours to mingle..

We need your help to advertise this event. Please tell your neighbours and friends.

We also need help setting up and taking down. Anyone who can help please be at the pavilion by 6:15 pm.

This is a very important evening as it provides us with an opportunity to meet and listen to each candidate running in Ward 9.

The organizing committee looks forward to meeting you on Tuesday October 5 at 7 PM at Victoria Park Pavilion."

[David]

FYI, I recieved the below invite yesterday:

Thank you for posting this, BusyBerliner. You beat me to it actually... I will be attending this debate and I look forward to the chance to meet and speak with even more residents of Ward 9.

In addition to this debate on the 5th, I received word from Paul Nijjar at The Working Centre. They have booked space at the Queen Street Commons on October 12th from 7-9pm and are hoping to hold an all-candidates debate there as well.

[Spokes]

The article in the Record today about last nights debate shows that Carl Zehr doesn't have too much competition. The two guys running against him look like a bunch of jokes. The one guy was wearing a baseball cap and the other one was a auto worker who hasn't worked in 10 years...They showed they were jokes because of what they said they would do with the downtowns and taxes. They are obviously not smart enough to understand how things work. Which does not surprise me given what I read.

No surprise there though, Zehr should walk away with this one.

[David]

The article in the Record today about last nights debate shows that Carl Zehr doesn't have too much competition. The two guys running against him look like a bunch of jokes. The one guy was wearing a baseball cap and the other one was a auto worker who hasn't worked in 10 years...They showed they were jokes because of what they said they would do with the downtowns and taxes. They are obviously not smart enough to understand how things work. Which does not surprise me given what I read.

Reading about it doesn't even compare to watching it. It was painful, and that is putting it nicely.

[KLM]

I can`t beleive there is nobody out there that can compete with current Mayor Zehr.

[Razzie]

I can`t beleive there is nobody out there that can compete with current Mayor Zehr.

That's exactly what I've been thinking. I know those people exist. They have to! And David I agree last night's debate wasn't a debate but more of a failed job interview for the challengers. Anyone who believes that freezing taxes for four years, or that limiting population growth to control traffic congestion while going against the LRT at the same time is both feasible and smart thinking, shouldn't be mayor.

[Scott Piatkowski]

If you live in Cambridge or Waterloo, you could start voting in advance on Saturday. If you live in Kitchener, you'll have to wait until October 12.

Other area cities aren't just opening their advance voting earlier; they also have a lot more opportunities to vote in advance.

For the sake of comparison, here is the number of hours of advance voting available in each area city:

Waterloo 45
Guelph 40
Cambridge 38
Kitchener 18

It's really no surpise that Kitchener's voter turnout is the lowest of any area municipality, and one of the lowest in Ontario.

[Jamie Vasey]

I echo your thoughts here Scott. Particularly when you look at how few Advanced Polling stations there are available to Kitchener residents. And for some reason, there isn't one in the downtown core? Should they not at least ensure that there is one available in each of the 10 Wards?

[pnijjar]

FYI: As David said above, the Working Centre is running some all-candidates meetings. We have:

- Ward 9: Tuesday Oct 12, 7-9pm
- Ward 10: Wednesday Oct 13, 7-9pm

They will be held at the Queen Street Commons, 43 Queen Street South, Kitchener (between King and Charles).

We also have one for the Kitchener representatives on Regional Council, which I will post in the appropriate thread.

Also: if anybody would like to help running the events, please let me know. We could really use the help. These events were pretty last-minute -- I certainly was not planning to organize anything a month ago, until I saw just how few other all-candidates meetings were planned. Ward 9 is pretty well-represented, but Ward 10 and especially Kitchener Regional Council are not.

[David]

I echo your thoughts here Scott. Particularly when you look at how few Advanced Polling stations there are available to Kitchener residents. And for some reason, there isn't one in the downtown core? Should they not at least ensure that there is one available in each of the 10 Wards?

I agree Jamie. But even with one in each ward, it still isn't accessible to many people (the elderly and the disabled for example) who can't get around easily. We all want to encourage voting, and as candidates is is on us to get out there and tell residents who WE are. However, it is on the regional and municipal governments to make sure that EVERYONE who wants to has the ability to vote.

[KingandOttawa]

It's great to see such a lively debate occurring here on the elections. My perspectives can mainly be found on my blog and I invite you to join the conversation occurring there too: http://kingandottawa.wordpress.com/elections-2010/

[David]

Advanced Voting in Kitchener starts Today at 2:00PM!

All eligible electors may vote at an Advance Vote at any one of the following Community Centres, on the dates and at the times specified below:

* Dates and Times:
o Tuesday, October 12 - 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
o Wednesday, October 13 - 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
o Saturday, October 16 - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

* Community Centre Locations:
o Breithaupt - 350 Margaret Avenue
o Country Hills - 100 Rittenhouse Road
o Doon Pioneer Park - 150 Pioneer Drive
o Forest Heights - 1700 Queen’s Boulevard
o Stanley Park - 505 Franklin Street North

Additional Information: http://app.kitchener.ca/election/voter_info.aspx#when_to_vote

[pnijjar]

Audio of the Ward 9 debate is available here: http://www.archive.org/details/KitchenerWard9All-candidatesDebate2010-10-12 . You can download it and share it and play it on your MP3 player if you want. You can download the FLAC too, and more formats should magically appear at some point.

It's embeddable! I am too dumb to figure out how to embed it in this forum! Also I stammer and say "um" a lot.

In other news, the Ward 8 Rogers debate was leaked onto YouTube:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGlwHZ5WMyg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1CJnRdFAQM

[UrbanWaterloo]

Queen Street Commons Café Ward 9 Debate

October 12, 2010

Candidates (left to right): Debbie Chapman, David Kuhn, Sandy MacFarlane, Frank Etherington and Graham Yeates.
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Queen%20Street%20Commons%20Cafe%20-%20Kitchener%20Ward%209%20Debate%20-%20October%2012%2C%202010%20-%201%20Resized.jpghttp://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Queen%20Street%20Commons%20Cafe%20-%20Kitchener%20Ward%209%20Debate%20-%20October%2012%2C%202010%20-%202a%20Resized.jpg
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Queen%20Street%20Commons%20Cafe%20-%20Kitchener%20Ward%209%20Debate%20-%20October%2012%2C%202010%20-%202b%20Resized.jpghttp://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Queen%20Street%20Commons%20Cafe%20-%20Kitchener%20Ward%209%20Debate%20-%20October%2012%2C%202010%20-%202c%20Resized.jpg

[David]

Thanks for posting some pics

[pnijjar]

It took me three tries, but I finally got the audio for the Ward 10 all-candidates meeting uploaded: http://www.archive.org/details/KitchenerWard10All-candidatesDebate2010-10-13

Thanks to Andrew (aka UrbanWaterloo) and Shawn (aka Shawn) for helping out with the event.

[Scott Piatkowski]

It's great to see such a lively debate occurring here on the elections. My perspectives can mainly be found on my blog and I invite you to join the conversation occurring there too: http://kingandottawa.wordpress.com/elections-2010/

Thanks for your endorsement, James.

[Scott Piatkowski]

Candidate profiles (for both Kitchener and Waterloo) written by Conestoga College journalism students are now available at http://s.coop/4cj

[theknitter]

Candidate profiles (for both Kitchener and Waterloo) written by Conestoga College journalism students are now available at http://s.coop/4cj

Interesting that not all candidates were profiled...at least not in the ward that I live in.

[Robert]

From one of the candidate writeups:

"Dwayne not only lives in ward 4 but also works their"

Hopefully, the Conestoga College journalism students will also study spelling before graduation. :RpS_tongue:

[David]

From one of the candidate writeups:

"Dwayne not only lives in ward 4 but also works their"

Hopefully, the Conestoga College journalism students will also study spelling before graduation. :RpS_tongue:

Maybe they haven't gotten around to the unit where proofreading is mentioned yet?:RpS_tongue:

In fairness though, I jumped at the opportunity for this interview. Regardless of who gets votes from it, I think this is a great way to get students engaged. And even if they don't vote... At least they'll have an idea of what is going on around them.

[pnijjar]

Could someone post the Conestoga College writeups to the "Candidate Surveys" thread?

[Jamie Vasey]

Thanks for your endorsement, James.

I echo that thought. For anyone interested in James' thoughts on the Ward 6 race, they can be found here...

http://kingandottawa.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/my-recommendation-for-ward-6/


Jamie Vasey
Candidate for City Council
Ward 6- Kitchener

[theknitter]

Just wanted to share some Candidate write-ups that I found in the Kitchener Citizen Newspaper.

http://www.kitchenercitizen.com/uploads/KitchenerCitizen_October2010lr.pdf

[pnijjar]

It's almost too late now, but it looks like somebody leaked the Rogers Ward 10 debate as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZM3jJRs9-A

Maybe this will help somebody make a last-minute decision.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Mayor
2 of 119 polls reported
Carl Zehr 480 78.30 0
Frank Kulcsar 68 11.09 412
Don Pinnell 65 10.60 415

Councillor - Ward 1
2 of 13 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Davey 19 54.29 0
Moni Lagonia 16 45.71 3

Councillor - Ward 2
2 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Berry Vrbanovic 3 60.00 0
Joyce Palubiski 2 40.00 1

Councillor - Ward 3
2 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
John Gazzola 16 66.67 0
Bob McColl 8 33.33 8
Paula Sossi 0 0.00 16

Councillor - Ward 4
2 of 12 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Yvonne Fernandes 89 41.78 0
Bruce Brubacher 63 29.58 26
Florence Carbray 42 19.72 47
Rod McNeil 19 8.92 70

Councillor - Ward 5
2 of 10 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Kelly Galloway 1 100.00 0
Lorne Bruce 0 0.00 1
Sunder Pal Rajasansi 0 0.00 1
Narine Sookram 0 0.00 1

Councillor - Ward 6
2 of 16 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Jamie Vasey 2 50.00 0
Paul Singh 1 25.00 1
Chris Farley 1 25.00 1
Steve Sachs 0 0.00 2
Henrik Pedersen 0 0.00 2
Jeff Chatterton 0 0.00 2

Councillor - Ward 7
2 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Jake Smola 5 55.56 0
Bil Ioannidis 4 44.44 1
Michael Windley 0 0.00 5
Susan Koswan 0 0.00 5

Councillor - Ward 8
2 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Piatkowski 24 52.17 0
Zyg Janecki 21 45.65 3
Bill Pegg 1 2.17 23

Councillor - Ward 9
2 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Debbie Chapman 44 51.76 0
Frank Etherington 32 37.65 12
Graham Yeates 5 5.88 39
Sandy MacFarlane 2 2.35 42
David Kuhn 2 2.35 42
John Schill 0 0.00 44

Councillor - Ward 10
2 of 24 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Daniel Glenn-Graham 74 35.75 0
Denis Pellerin 70 33.82 4
Terry Marr 40 19.32 34
Gary Ferguson 23 11.11 51

[UrbanWaterloo]

Mayor
21 of 119 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Carl Zehr 3727 77.84 0
Don Pinnell 540 11.28 3187
Frank Kulcsar 521 10.88 3206

Councillor - Ward 1
5 of 13 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Davey 128 58.45 0
Moni Lagonia 91 41.55 37

Councillor - Ward 2
9 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Berry Vrbanovic 766 64.81 0
Joyce Palubiski 416 35.19 350

Councillor - Ward 3
5 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
John Gazzola 110 75.86 0
Bob McColl 29 20.00 81
Paula Sossi 6 4.14 104

Councillor - Ward 4
6 of 12 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Yvonne Fernandes 315 42.51 0
Bruce Brubacher 180 24.29 135
Florence Carbray 154 20.78 161
Rod McNeil 92 12.42 223

Councillor - Ward 5
5 of 10 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Sunder Pal Rajasansi 109 64.12 0
Kelly Galloway 49 28.82 60
Lorne Bruce 10 5.88 99
Narine Sookram 2 1.18 107

Councillor - Ward 6
7 of 16 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Paul Singh 90 33.46 0
Jeff Chatterton 74 27.51 16
Jamie Vasey 65 24.16 25
Steve Sachs 18 6.69 72
Chris Farley 18 6.69 72
Henrik Pedersen 4 1.49 86

Councillor - Ward 7
7 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Bil Ioannidis 395 47.82 0
Jake Smola 260 31.48 135
Susan Koswan 110 13.32 285
Michael Windley 61 7.38 334

Councillor - Ward 8
10 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Piatkowski 326 43.29 0
Zyg Janecki 298 39.58 28
Bill Pegg 129 17.13 197

Councillor - Ward 9
7 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Debbie Chapman 130 45.45 0
Frank Etherington 117 40.91 13
Sandy MacFarlane 16 5.59 114
David Kuhn 11 3.85 119
Graham Yeates 8 2.80 122
John Schill 4 1.40 126

Councillor - Ward 10
5 of 24 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Daniel Glenn-Graham 102 37.50 0
Denis Pellerin 82 30.15 20
Terry Marr 54 19.85 48
Gary Ferguson 34 12.50 68

[Spokes]

Congratulations to Scott Davey who just officially won Ward 1!!

Congratulations to Yvonne Fernandes who officially won Ward 4!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Mayor
104 of 119 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Carl Zehr 29546 79.12 0
Frank Kulcsar 4047 10.84 25499
Don Pinnell 3748 10.04 25798

Councillor - Ward 1
13 of 13 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Davey 2348 54.01 0
Moni Lagonia 1999 45.99 349

Councillor - Ward 2
16 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Berry Vrbanovic 3288 69.28 0
Joyce Palubiski 1458 30.72 1830

Councillor - Ward 3
18 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
John Gazzola 1676 75.94 0
Bob McColl 415 18.80 1261
Paula Sossi 116 5.26 1560

Councillor - Ward 4
12 of 12 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Yvonne Fernandes 1507 47.66 0
Bruce Brubacher 806 25.49 701
Florence Carbray 535 16.92 972
Rod McNeil 314 9.93 1193

Councillor - Ward 5
9 of 10 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Kelly Galloway 1490 75.29 0
Sunder Pal Rajasansi 259 13.09 1231
Lorne Bruce 156 7.88 1334
Narine Sookram 74 3.74 1416

Councillor - Ward 6
15 of 16 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Paul Singh 1206 29.48 0
Jeff Chatterton 1098 26.84 108
Chris Farley 848 20.73 358
Jamie Vasey 594 14.52 612
Steve Sachs 249 6.09 957
Henrik Pedersen 96 2.35 1110

Councillor - Ward 7
15 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Bil Ioannidis 2248 45.90 0
Jake Smola 1527 31.18 721
Susan Koswan 740 15.11 1508
Michael Windley 383 7.82 1865

Councillor - Ward 8
16 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Zyg Janecki 1898 43.81 0
Scott Piatkowski 1776 41.00 122
Bill Pegg 658 15.19 1240

Councillor - Ward 9
16 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Debbie Chapman 1631 43.33 0
Frank Etherington 1610 42.77 21
Sandy MacFarlane 187 4.97 1444
Graham Yeates 176 4.68 1455
David Kuhn 126 3.35 1505
John Schill 34 0.90 1597

Councillor - Ward 10
19 of 24 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Daniel Glenn-Graham 1433 33.37 0
Denis Pellerin 1213 28.25 220
Terry Marr 832 19.38 601
Gary Ferguson 816 19.00 617

[RoadRunner]

Where are you getting these results?

[Spokes]

Ward 9 is coming down to the wire. With 18/19 polls reporting:

Frank Etherington 1684
Debbie Chapman 1672

[UrbanWaterloo]

Where are you getting these results?

http://app.kitchener.ca/election/election_results.htm

[UrbanWaterloo]

Mayor
119 of 119 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Carl Zehr 29939 79.17 0
Frank Kulcsar 4072 10.77 25867
Don Pinnell 3805 10.06 26134

Councillor - Ward 1
13 of 13 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Scott Davey 2348 54.01 0
Moni Lagonia 1999 45.99 349

Councillor - Ward 2
17 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Berry Vrbanovic 3290 69.26 0
Joyce Palubiski 1460 30.74 1830

Councillor - Ward 3
19 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
John Gazzola 1727 75.65 0
Bob McColl 431 18.88 1296
Paula Sossi 125 5.48 1602

Councillor - Ward 4
12 of 12 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Yvonne Fernandes 1507 47.66 0
Bruce Brubacher 806 25.49 701
Florence Carbray 535 16.92 972
Rod McNeil 314 9.93 1193

Councillor - Ward 5
10 of 10 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Kelly Galloway 1499 75.25 0
Sunder Pal Rajasansi 262 13.15 1237
Lorne Bruce 157 7.88 1342
Narine Sookram 74 3.71 1425

Councillor - Ward 6
16 of 16 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Paul Singh 1209 29.13 0
Jeff Chatterton 1124 27.08 85
Chris Farley 850 20.48 359
Jamie Vasey 619 14.91 590
Steve Sachs 250 6.02 959
Henrik Pedersen 99 2.38 1110

Councillor - Ward 7
17 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Bil Ioannidis 2254 45.67 0
Jake Smola 1546 31.33 708
Susan Koswan 747 15.14 1507
Michael Windley 388 7.86 1866

Councillor - Ward 8
17 of 17 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Zyg Janecki 1908 43.85 0
Scott Piatkowski 1783 40.98 125
Bill Pegg 660 15.17 1248

Councillor - Ward 9 TOO CLOSE TO CALL
19 of 19 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Frank Etherington 1689 43.16 0
Debbie Chapman 1688 43.14 1
Sandy MacFarlane 188 4.80 1501
Graham Yeates 179 4.57 1510
David Kuhn 133 3.40 1556
John Schill 36 0.92 1653

Councillor - Ward 10
24 of 24 polls reported
Candidate Votes Percent Trailing By
Daniel Glenn-Graham 1452 33.07 0
Denis Pellerin 1248 28.42 204
Terry Marr 846 19.27 606
Gary Ferguson 845 19.24 607

[BusyBerliner]

Wow, Ward 9 came down to just one vote!

Anyone know the recount protocol for municipal elections? - don't remember a Council race ever beeing near this close.

[David]

Wow, Ward 9 came down to just one vote!

Anyone know the recount protocol for municipal elections? - don't remember a Council race ever beeing near this close.

All I know is that there has to be a recount when the outcome is that close. My guess would be that it isn't actually that close at all and that someone made an error somewhere or that a few votes weren't counted.

[Greg Moore]

My guess would be that it isn't actually that close at all and that someone made an error somewhere or that a few votes weren't counted.

Based on what? Saying it's close is basis for saying there is error?

[David]

Based on what? Saying it's close is basis for saying there is error?

The odds of ONE vote actually being the case for a win are quite low. Frank's win is well within the margin of error. Look at the 2008 Federal Race for K-W as a good example. Peter Braid won originally by what? 32 votes? They did a recount and he still won, but by a reduced margin of 17 votes.

All things have to be considered.

[BusyBerliner]

Frank's win is well within the margin of error.

Sorry, but I wouldn't call a 0.02% advantage a decisive win. A recount is in order for such a close race.

[David]

Sorry, but I wouldn't call a 0.02% advantage a decisive win. A recount is in order for such a close race.


Thank is my point. I'm saying that there needs to be a recount. Maybe I worded it wrong.

[BusyBerliner]

My mistake. I misinterpreted.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Mayoral Candidate Frank Kulcsar has passed away.

[David]

Mayoral Candidate Frank Kulcsar has passed away.

How sad. I never met the man but it takes a lot of courage to run for mayor. Especially against someone like Mr. Zehr. Frank held on as long as he could I'm sure.

[KevinL]

All I know is that there has to be a recount when the outcome is that close.

Actually, per the Record (http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/800972), a recount on the municipal level is only automatic with a tie. This recount can be authorized by council (they`ve scheduled a special meeting tomorrow for that); should the motion somehow not pass there, any concerned citizen (candidate, voter, what have you) can go to the Superior Court within 15 days and ask for a judicial intervention.

[YKF]

Is it safe to say that we have a business-minded council?

[Jamie Vasey]

Is it safe to say that we have a business-minded council?

That depends if you are talking about curent council or "council-elect". It's hard to call any council that has increased property taxes at twice the rate of inflation over the last 4 years "business minded". As for council-elect, I don't think we know what we have yet.

[Greg Moore]

Is it safe to say that we have a business-minded council?

I'd say a conservative minded council with exception to being fiscal.

[Shawn]

Mayoral Candidate Frank Kulcsar has passed away.

Mr. Kulcsar's family will receive friends and relatives at the Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home (http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Frank-Kulcsar&lc=3766&pid=146257967&mid=4421939), 51 Benton at Church Street, Kitchener on Friday October 29th, 2010 at 12 noon until time of service in the funeral home chapel at 2:00 p.m. Interment: Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo.

[smably]

The ward 9 recount is complete, with no change (http://twitter.com/#!/farwell570/status/29592905482) in the result. Etherington still wins by one vote.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Ward 9 same results as election night.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Ward 9 Recount
Kitchener City Hall

November 3, 2010

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Kitchener%20Ward%207%20Recount%20-%20November%203,%202010%20-%202%20Resized.jpghttp://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/Photo0008%20Resized.jpg
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/SAM_2441%20Resized.jpghttp://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/SAM_2445%20Resized.jpg
http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/SAM_2448%20Resized.jpghttp://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Politics/Election%202010/SAM_2449%20Resized.jpg

[Shawn]

The re-count came up with the exact same numbers? Wow! That's certainly a vote of confidence (all puns intended) to the accuracy of the current voting system. It was the first time I've seen them use those machines that scan the ballot. At first, for a second, I thought my scrutineer was sending my ballot into a paper shredder!!

[Urbanomicon]

The re-count came up with the exact same numbers? Wow! That's certainly a vote of confidence (all puns intended) to the accuracy of the current voting system. It was the first time I've seen them use those machines that scan the ballot. At first, for a second, I thought my scrutineer was sending my ballot into a paper shredder!!

Did they use the machines to recount them or did they do it by hand?

[David]

Based on the results of city’s Nov. 3 [Ward 9] recount, the city clerk officially declared [Frank] Etherington the winner on Friday. Unless instruction from the courts prevents it, Etherington will be sworn in with the rest of the council-elect. (http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/817853)

[Spokes]

Based on the results of city’s Nov. 3 [Ward 9] recount, the city clerk officially declared [Frank] Etherington the winner on Friday. Unless instruction from the courts prevents it, Etherington will be sworn in with the rest of the council-elect. (http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/817853)

Yup, which is the right thing to do until Chapman's appeal to the Supreme Court for a manual recount (which is the right call) has been heard.

[David]

Debbie gave all the candidates copies of the affidavits filed with the court. Plus, I was there for the recount at city hall. I understand her reasoning, but I'm still not sold on how she can prove without a doubt that any votes are for her and just marked wrong on the ballot.

Nothing was contested at the recount. Anything remotely questionable was examined by Debbie and her lawyer. As well as Frank, his team and the city clerk. And at one point, myself because it was a David Kuhn vote that was being looked at.... In the end, any ballots at issue were looked at and accepted. All the candidates present, including myself and John Schill said we were satisfied.

Again, I understand Deb's reasons here. Any doubt has to be eating away at her mind. And one vote, that's not something to take easily. I'm just unsure what she's hoping to have overturned by a judge or rather how it can be done.

[Spokes]

Her argument from what I understand is that while doing the recount there were some that were possibly marked twice or an error was made, and they'd like to argue that they should have been counted as hers, or possibly not Etherington's.

You're right though, I can't imaging having lost by one. At the end of the day, she's doing the right thing and she's doing what you, I or anyone else would do if in the same situation.

[IEFBR14]

At the end of the day, she's doing the right thing and she's doing what you, I or anyone else would do if in the same situation.
A much faster, cheaper and less contentious way to resolve close vote situations is for the two candidates to let a coin toss determine the winner. Google reveals that this option is not at all uncommon in the US (well at least if you and your dad don't have the US Supreme Court in your pocket ;)) and other countries, e.g.
Not Every Vote Counts (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/opinion/04seife.html?_r=3&ref=opinion)
Nader's Solution: Flip A Coin (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/112200-03.htm)
The Gazette :: Coin toss would resolve election tie (http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=FrontPage&articleID=249&month=2&day=2&year=2005)

After all, in these sorts of situations no one can credibly argue that the electorate indicated a clear preference for one candidate over the other. Clearly they didn't, otherwise a much higher percentage of the electorate would have cast a ballot in the first place and/or the margin would have been much greater.

[David]

Her argument from what I understand is that while doing the recount there were some that were possibly marked twice or an error was made, and they'd like to argue that they should have been counted as hers, or possibly not Etherington's.

You're right though, I can't imaging having lost by one. At the end of the day, she's doing the right thing and she's doing what you, I or anyone else would do if in the same situation.

You're right, I would. But as I said, proving that a ballot is marked wrong, that's what I can't get over. Because either way both Debbie and Frank could have cause to argue the contrary. Unless they discounted all the over votes and any of the ones that were questionable after that then just counted whatever was left.

As far as a tossing a coin. I would rather lose by a single vote than by the fate of a coin flip...

Some have suggested a re-vote, and I think that is ridiculous. Not to mention costly. There weren't any issues with the staff at polling stations or the machines that has been brought up post-Oct. 25. Other than some people seemingly not knowing where to go things went well. So in that regard there is no cause for another vote.

My hope is that this issue is resolved in a fair manner and that Ward 9 has a Councillor on or shortly after December 6th.

[Scott Davey]

In case anyone is interested, my blog site is now live where I will keep people informed on council and what's happening in Ward 1 and the city as a whole.

Thanks again for your support.

www.scottdavey.info

Scott Davey

[Spokes]

Well the ward 9 recount is over and while there were a number of contested ballots, the original result stands.

[David]

Was talking with legal counsel for Etherington following the result. Debbie's lawyer told them (and media it seems) that they don't plan on disputing today's count.