2022 Municipal Election
 

Well, Sam Merulla announced he will not run in the next election for Ward 4 councilor. Finally, after 20 years as councilor the ward will get a fresh face.


Sam Merulla calling it quits: ‘I’m implementing my own term limits’
Controversial councillor vows not to seek re-election in 2022
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-stor...-term-limits-/

Hamilton residents could face double-digit tax increases because of pandemic spending
(Hamilton Community News, Kevin Werner, June 16 2020)

Hamilton homeowners could see potentially double-digit tax increases within two years, capital projects delayed, the city’s reserved funds depleted and cutbacks in all services because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The troubling scenario was presented by Mike Zegarac, corporate finance general manager, at the June 15 general issues committee virtual meeting. He outlined a potential $60-million to $122-million deficit depending upon how long the city is forced to keep adhering to the province’s emergency orders.

Hamilton’s financial problems could extend well into 2021 and even 2022 with tax increases anywhere from seven to nearly 14 per cent.

“I’m feeling anxious given there isn’t a commitment from (the federal government to help municipalities),” said Zegarac, as he fielded questions from concerned councillors during the June 15 general issues committee meeting.…

“Not only are we facing an immediate fiscal challenge,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger, “but we are facing 2021, and 2022 as challenges because transit is not going to come flying back the way it has in the past; the economy is not going to turn on a dime.”

Read it in full here.


Double-digit tax increases heading into a municipal election will help unseat incumbents.

Good on Sam, but he's probably got some plum position lined up that will keep him in the city biz.

IMO the wards that really need fresh faces are 12 and 14 (especially 14)

After being oh-so-impressed :rolleyes: with him as mayor the first time around, of course I'd *LOVE* to see what he can do in an encore. :haha:

I wonder if he's thrown any pens in Ottawa...


Liberal MP Bob Bratina eyes Hamilton mayoral bid after split with party

By Richard Leitner
Stoney Creek News via the Hamilton Spectator
Thu., Aug. 12, 2021

https://www.thespec.com/local-stoney...ith-party.html

https://images.thestar.com/n5nyqujcD...ratinaEmma.JPG

Hamilton East—Stoney Creek Liberal MP Bob Bratina says he may yet run for mayor next year now that he won't seek re-election because he opposes his government’s funding of the city’s light-rail transit line.

“I’m not ruling it out,” he said in an interview at his constituency office in downtown Stoney Creek.

“I have lots of options, including fully retiring, but I don’t feel like I’m done yet. I feel good and I have a lot of concerns about the city, the vision around its growth.”

Bratina, 77, who stepped down as mayor after a single term to run for the federal Liberals in 2015, said he still believes the shared $3.4 billion that Ottawa and the province will spend on the LRT has many better uses.

They include fixing “bedbug ridden” public housing units and addressing the city’s $3 billion in infrastructure repair needs.

But he said he is also following the current debate on whether to expand Hamilton’s urban boundary and sides with opponents who favour building more multiple-unit dwellings over urban sprawl.

Bratina said he pushed for the west harbour GO station while mayor because he realized the all-day service it now offers could spur housing intensification in the downtown core and turn it into “a powerhouse.”

“There’s lots of things that I’m proud of that I was a part of (as mayor) and they’re bearing fruit as we speak,” he said. “I’ve got a few more good ideas that may get to be exploited, but we’ll see what happens.”

...

“It kind of gives a sense of how unimportant Bob Bratina was to that government.”

Full story here

My sense, 10 years ago, was that Bobra was starting to lose his marbles a bit. I don't recall what it was exactly (maybe I'm losing mine); perhaps it was the outbursts, or his inability to respond directly to questions, etc. Did anyone else have those thoughts or was it my imagination?

Anyway, not excited about the prospect of another octogenarian taking over...

I had the same impression about him.

We need a fresh face leading the city. Preferably someone younger who hasn't been on council for years and years, with some spunk in him or her and an ability to cut through the BS while working constructively with the other kids. Too much to ask?

Looks like we're bound to have at least one new councillor. Collins will be running for the Liberals in the next federal election, and given his name recognition and the Grits traditional strength in that part of the city, I'll be surprised if he does not win.


Coun. Chad Collins running for federal Liberals in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Teviah Moro
The Hamilton Spectator
Fri., Aug. 13, 2021

https://www.thespec.com/news/council...ney-creek.html

Coun. Chad Collins is the federal Liberals’ candidate in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.

The longtime Ward 5 councillor won the candidature by acclamation Thursday.

Collins, who was first elected to council in 1995, hopes to replace outgoing Liberal MP Bob Bratina in the riding.

...

Collins similarly has been a steady opponent of the McMaster-to-Eastgate Square light-rail line in favour of bus rapid transit and says he won’t change his mind despite the Liberals’ position.

“For me, it’s always about representing my constituents,” he said.

Collins said he “respects the fact” that the Liberals have committed $1.7 billion to the project (the provincial share is $1.7 billion) but it’s up to council to decide how LRT unfolds.

“If someone’s expecting some sort of robot in Ottawa, they haven’t come to the right person in that regard.”

Collins said he’ll carry his “passion” for the housing, transit and infrastructure files to Parliament should be elected.

If an election is called, Collins said he’ll take an unpaid leave of absence, still handling constituency matters but not attending council meetings. Should he win, council can opt to appoint a Ward 5 replacement or hold a byelection.

The next municipal election is October 2022.

full story here

I live in the ward and plan on voting Liberal.. not too happy about his nomination. I guess the consolation is that he will be a backbencher much like Bratina was with no real power or say. Good to see an establishment councillor gone, hopefully a fresh new face replaces him.

I'm a little concerned about Bratina's rumblings of running for mayor again trying to derail LRT yet again... but hopefully that won't come to fruition.

BOOOoourns to Bratina all the WAY!!!

And even if he wins (he probably still has a lot of supporters, and could come out ahead in a close race) hopefully all the agreements are in place, if not shovels in the ground.

Collins being away from council meetings and big decisions is good news for anything LRT-related. They'll probably be voting on the MOU in September, and if he does become a MP I doubt the city will replace him quickly enough for any final LRT votes. If they do, hopefully it's with a supporter.

My grandparents went to a house party in Ancaster... oh jeez, 50 years ago? With a lot of guests in attendance, including Bratina. From the brief conversations they had with him they could tell he was the definition of pompous and arrogant :haha: He's absolutely just doing this for attention, and I HOPE it doesn't go anywhere.

How he became my MP I couldn't tell you :yuck:

Wayne Marston was a beauty. I was so disheartened that he was unseated by the likes of Bob.

Bob obviously has very different politics from Trump, but do they ever share an ego.

I dunno, I'd say BoBra has more Jong-Un in him than Trump...

Can we please just have a single realistic candidate that's under the age of 100?

If my quick search is right, the last time we had a candidate with any sort of shot under the age of 50, it was Christopherson in 2003.

I'd love to run for municipal, but I still don't know if you have to reside in said Ward or not. I like Nann (and live in Ward 3 but close to the border of Ward 2), and if Farr runs for mayor, then there would be an opportunity! I'm not even half of 100!

Bratina can take a space flight with Bezos and hopefully not come back.

For municipal council you do not need to live in the ward you run for (though that can be used against you) for MP or MPP you must live in the area you are running for.

I don't believe that is true - it's not uncommon if a new party leader is elected without a seat for a member in a safe seat riding to step down and have the leader run there, even if they don't live there.

Jagmeet Singh lives in Brampton but represents Burnaby South in Vancouver, for example.

I don't believe you even need to live in the same municipality that you want to run for council for either. There were long rumours that a Toronto City Councillor lived in Brampton, for example (he's no longer on council), albeit basically across the street from his ward in Toronto.

Federal and Provincial candidates do not have to live in the constituency to run. The Hamilton Mountain NDP candidate lives in Welland. A former Hamilton Mountain NDP MP Marion Dewar was the former Mayor of Ottawa and continued to live in Ottawa while representing Hamilton Mountain. Even provincially Donna Skelly was still living in Hamilton Mountain when she won her current seat in Flamborough.

Looks like we'll have a new face for Ward 5 now that Collins won his retirement federal seat. Who's going to run to fill the Ws 4 and 5 vacancies?

Oh great, my riding is replacing one bum of an MP for another. :yuck: