Kitchener Election Talk

[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!

[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/ar...-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 years old. Carl Zehr is 65 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 years old. Carl Zehr is 65 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."

He's a candidate in Ward 9.

[mpd618]

He's a candidate in Ward 9.

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.