LONDON CITY COUNCIL WARD ELECTIONS

By Edward C. Corrigan Map of London Wards for the October22, 2018 Elections.
Each voter should inform themselves on each candidate in their Ward, try to attend a Ward debate and question each candidate on the issues that concern you. Here is my take on the Ward elections.
WARD 1
This race is interesting with three well qualified and politically experienced candidates.
Melanie O’Brien is a new comer to public elections but has extensive political experience due to the fact she worked for Federal Member of Parliament Irene Mathysen. She does not support BRT in its current form because it does not adequately serve the residents of Ward 1.
Bud Pohill, who was defeated by Michael Van Holst in the 2014 election is returning for a rematch. Pohill has served 16 years as councilor and 10 years of Board of Control. He was defeated in 2014 to a large extent because he was associated with the “Fontana 8” who held secret meetings before City Council meetings that were found to be illegal and violations of the Ontario Municipal Act by the Ontario Ombudsman. Even after the Ombudsman ruled that these meetings, which included a quorum of City Council, were illegal the “Fontana 8” were caught holding another meeting. This apparent disregard for the law resulted in many incumbents being defeated. Pohill also was involved in a controversy where he and 3 other defeated candidates, including Stephen Orser, purchased new tires for their vehicles out of their Councillor Expense Accounts. Pohill does not support BRT. He provides a lot of experience in City Council matters but is limited by that past experience and the problems that continue to plague London. 
Michael Van Holst is the incumbent for Ward I. He serves as a full time councillor. He defeated Bud Polhill in the 2014 Municipal election winning over 50% of the vote.   Before he quit to become a full-time councillor he taught science. He lives in the Ward.  He is focused in addressing “unemployment, poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental health. He is opposed to BRT.
WARD 2
Bill Armstrong is the current representative for this East end Ward. He is a small business owner and a Paralegal. He has served 24 years on City Council representing the area. Bill Armstrong is married to Teresa Armstrong the NDP Member of Provincial Parliament for London-Fanshawe. Armstrong is the longest serving member of London City Council. As such he provides useful historical context behind past Council decisions. He lives in the Ward. He believes that housing is the most pressing issue in the Ward.   He supports the BRT but states that if CP could use the CN rail tracks, “It would be a game changer.”
Allan Jackson has withdrawn for the race in Ward 2 and has instead endorsed Shawn Lewis. However, his name will appear on the ballot and may complicate the counting of the “Ranked Ballot” in Ward 2.
Shawn Lewis is also running in Ward 2. He has worked as a Constituency Assistant for NDP Federal Member of Parliament Irene Mathyssen. He was a local media personality on AM 980 Radio and on Rogers Cable TV. He does not live in the Ward.  Lewis has strong political credentials and experience that, however, relates primarily to federal political issues. His main concerns are jobs, homelessness and the lack of affordable housing and inadequate and crumbling infra structure. Lewis is opposed to BRT. 
WARD 3
Mo Salih is the current Councillor for Ward 3. He won 52.52% of the votes in the 2014 Municipal election. Here was no Incumbent running in 2014.  Salih has recently retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and is presently employed as a Government employee. According to virtually all reports he has represented his Ward very well. He voted against the current BRT plan on Council but he wants to improve London transit including rapid transit.
Harry Prince is also running in Ward 3 but did not respond to the London Free Press Municipal Election Survey.
Two other candidates withdrew their names and will not appear on the ballot.
WARD 4
This election is shaping up to be a rematch between incumbent Jess Helmer and the individual who previously lost the election in 2014, Stephen Orser.
Helmer served as a full time Councillor and his previous experience includes being part own of a web design company. He generally is a respected member of London City Council. He supports building BRT to help alleviate traffic congestion and to move London forward.
Xuemei Jiang is also running. She is a lawyer and this is her first foray into politics. She opposes the BRT.
Tricia Lystar is a business owner and single mom. She does not support the BRT in its current form.  She is of a conservative bent and says that the present councilor she hopes to emulate is Phil Squire.
Stephen Orser represented Ward 4 between 2006 and 2014 before losing to Jesse Helmer by more than 2,000 votes in the 2014 election. Orser has an ability grab headlines. Orser lost the election to Helmer to a large extent because he was associated with “the Fontana 8” and met secretly with 7 other City Council members, on at least 2 occasions, which was found to be illegal and a violation of the Ontario Municipal Act. After his defeat he also used his Council Expense account to purchase 4 new tires from defeated Councillor Bud Pohill. Orser is opposed to the BRT. Orser could be called “the Sign King” of London politics. He has acquired some political baggage. However, you cannot count out Orser as his political opponents have under estimated him in the past.   
Connor Garrett is also running but did not respond to the London Free Press Survey.
WARD 5
There are 6 candidates running to represent Ward 5.  In my opinion there are 3 serious contenders.
Maureen Cassidy is the current representative.  She ran for Council in 2014 after Joni Baechler, who represented Ward 5, was appointed Mayor after Joe Fontana was forced to resign. Baechler, a very popular councillor, endorsed Cassidy in 2014 and also in this election. Cassidy is a long time resident of the Ward and was a longtime community activist. She is articulate and a very good speaker and communicator.  She strongly supports BRT. She states, “Any candidate staunchly opposed to BRT should indicate how they expect to pay to upgrade existing roads and infrastructure plus build these new roads without raising property taxes.”  Cassidy’s term was marred by the extramarital affair she had with Mayor Matt Brown. The election will determine if the voters in Ward 5 have forgiven her.
Stephanie Marentette Di Battista is a fresh face running for City Council. She is a lawyer and a ballerina which suggests that she can argue and also dance around political issues. She states “I have a very thick skin and I can take criticism.” Di Battista has strong community involvement including Ronald MacDonald House and Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the London Chamber of Commerce. The present councilor she hopes to emulate is Phil Squire. This suggests that she has a conservative bent. She does not support BRT in “its current form.” 
Randy Warden ran in the 2014 election coming a distant second to Maureen Cassidy. He is currently the Executive Director (Southwestern Ontario) for St. John Ambulance.  He promises regular correspondence with the constituents and town hall meetings to get input from the Ward. Warden’s model with who he hopes to emulate is Jack Burghardt. He served one term as a Liberal MP in London West. This suggests that he is a centrist. In the Survey when he responded to the question, did he support the BRT. His answer was no.
Shane Clarke responded to the London Free Press Municipal Election survey as did candidate Charles Knott. Ward 5 candidate Shiv Chokhani is also running but did not respond to the London Free Press election survey.
WARD 6
There are only 2 candidates running in Ward 6.
Mike Bloxam ran in the 2014 Municipal Election and came a respectable 3rd with nearly 1200 votes. He is the Owner Operator of Sun Tal Technologies, a local solar installation company. Bloxam is also the Community Harvest Co-ordinator at the London Food Bank. His emphasis is fighting poverty and the need for affordable housing.  He also promises to work on job creation. He supports BRT.
Philip Squire is the current representative for the Ward.  He has previously served on the London and District Catholic School Board and ran and was elected in the 2014 Municipal Election. Squire is a lawyer and is the lone Conservative voice on the present Council. He also serves as Chair of a Non-Profit organization. Squire is not a supporter of BRT but strongly supports transit.
In my opinion Squire will be tough to beat. However, voters in Ward 6 will have two decidedly different candidate from which to choose.
WARD 7
There are only two candidates standing for election in this Ward.
Joe Kolenko is 40 years old and a lifelong resident of London. He works at the London branch of a leading North American environmental services company. He is their Sales and Services Representative. He maintains that City Council does not listen to Londoners’. He points to the BRT issue as an example and he is not supporting BTR due to opposition of many Londoners.
Josh Morgan is the incumbent Councillor. He was elected in 2014 to represent Ward 7. He ran in Ward 8 and narrowly lost to Paul Herbert in the 2010 Municipal election. Morgan is employed by Western University as Recruitment and Development Officer for the Local Government Program. He works in the Municipal area of Western’s Political Science Department. He is married and has three daughters. Morgan believes that property taxes must be kept low and that London needs to make smart investments in our community. Morgan hopes to emulate former Mayor Jane Bigelow who served as London’s first woman Mayor and a supporter of Women’s rights and also of the City of London. Since his employer Western University will benefit from the BRT plan Morgan has declared a conflict of interest and has not taken a position on BRT.
Both candidates are worthy of support. However, Morgan won the election in 2014 with 56.56% of the vote. Morgan is well liked and has the political and academic back ground to be an effective representative. It will be difficult to beat him.
WARD 8
With the retirement of Paul Hubert, who has represented the Ward since 2006, this Ward is open. A total of 9 candidates are seeking election in this Ward. I personally know 3 of the candidates running in this Ward who I respect greatly. However, two candidates stand out for voter consideration in my opinion.
Moon Inthavong is Social Services and Additions Worker and also an Ethical Issues in Business Professor at Fanshawe College. Her back ground in Social Services would bring a unique perspective to London City Council. She embodies a collaborative approach to resolving issues and to bring differing opinions together. Inthavong states that she “does not look at this as a campaign, but rather a two month long job interview.”
The other candidate, in my opinion, that merits careful attention is Matt Reid. He is presently the Chair of the Thames Valley District School Board (TDVSB) a position he has held for two years. Reid is also a lawyer and has an extensive back ground in community organizations and elected positions.  He was the youth representative to the TVDSB. He has held numerous elected and appointed positions at Western University. Reid has an Honors’ Bachelor in Political Science from Western and a Law Degree from Ottawa. He also worked as an Intern for the Attorney General and did constituency work for a provincial cabinet minister. In 2013 He was appointed to the School Board to replace Peggy Sadler when she was elected MPP for London West. In 2014 Reid became the first openly gay elected official in London as trustee for Wards 2 to 6. In 2016 Reid was named one of “London’s Top 20 Under 40” by Business London Magazine.  He has received extensive coverage in the local media. For some reason Reid failed to answer the London Free Press Survey for Municipal candidates. I would encourage voters in Ward 8 to check out Reid on Google or see him in a debate.
The other candidates are Osman Ali, Bill Downie, Mathew Greer, Morena Hernandez, Tariq Khan, and Steve Lehman. All of these candidates completed the London Free Press survey. Nour Hamid who is also running in Ward 8 did not complete the Free Press Survey.
WARD 9
Anna Hopkins is the incumbent Councillor. She is a one term councillor seeking reelection. Hopkin’s has served on a number of City Committees and has served as a Board Member of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and also the London Middlesex Housing Corporation and the Audit Committee and Dearness Home Management Committee. She was a former small business owner for 20 years.  I should disclose that I lost to Hopkins in the 2014 Municipal Election. Councillors she hopes to emulate are the “Killer B’s,” Gina Barber. Nancy Branscombe, Judy Bryant, Susan Eagle, Anne Marie Decicco-Best and Joni Beachler.  She is a supporter of BRT. Reports I have heard is that she is well like by her fellow councilors.
Matt Millar is part of the Millar berry farm just outside of Lambeth. He complains that the “big problem” for Ward 9 is the “lack of proper representation.” Millar points to the slaughterhouse on Longwoods Road as an example of deaf ears to the constituents because most were opposed to the slaughterhouse operating that close to a residential area. Despite the opposition from the community Council unanimously approved the construction. He is also is opposed to BRT because it “does not benefit Ward 9.”
The other two candidates for Ward 9 are Firefighter Kyle Thompson and small business owner Veronica Marie Warner. They both have completed the London Free Press survey.  I encourage you to check out what they have said.      
Ben Charlebois is also running in the Ward but he did not respond to the London Free Press survey.
WARD 10
Ward 10 covers the Westmount and Norton Estates area of the City. There are four well qualified candidates competing for the position. However, in my opinion, the election will be a rematch of the 2014 election.
Virginia Ridley won the election in 2014. She won with more than 50% of the vote.  Her occupation is Communications Coordinator. She is married with two children. Ridley has Chaired the Civic Works Committee and also the Community and Protective Services Committee. She also has severed on numerous other City Council positions and as the City Representative on various Boards and agencies including Chair of the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System Joint Board of Management.  In Ridley’s view road safety is the most pressing issue. She is a supporter of BRT.
Paul Van Meerbergen lost the election to Ridley in 2014. He served on Council from 2003 to 2014. I should disclose that Van Meerbergen defeated me in the 2003 Election when Ward 7 included Byron, Lambeth, Norton Estates and Westmount. After the election an Audit of Van Meerbergen’s campaign expenses found that there were 6 violations of the Ontario Municipal Act in his expense reporting. However, these violations were found not to be enough to put his over the campaign limit where he would forfeit his seat.
One of the main reasons Van Meerbergen lost his seat in 2014 was that he was part of the “Fontana 8” which held two secret meetings with a quorum of Council which the Ontario Ombudsman ruled violated the Ontario Municipal Act.  The fact that then Mayor Joe Fontana was forced to resign over false expense claims when he was a Federal MP did not help the reputation of the group. There also was a feeling that Van Meerbergen was not returning calls or attending to constituents concerns. All of the members of the “Fontana 8” either were defeated or left City Council.
Van Meerbergen does have an excellent speaking voice and presence. I attended a debate for Ward 10, which is also where I now live. Both Van Meerbergen and Ridley handled their questions very well and both displayed good knowledge of the issues. In fact Van Meerbergen was very gracious to me and thanked me for my past service as a Councillor.  It is clear that Van Meerbergen has mellowed and moderated his political views in his bid to return to Council. He still stresses lower taxes and has extensive experience and knowledge of City. Van Meerbergen is opposed to the BRT.
Kevin May, is also running in Ward 10. Gary Manley is also running and also Thomas Risley and all completed the Free Press Surveys.
 
WARD 11

Stephen Turner is the current Councillor for Ward 11. He is employed as Director of Environment Health and Infectious Diseases, Middle-London Health Unit. He has served as member of the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, Chair, Planning and Environment Committee and Member, Audit Committee and a Member, Waste Management Working Group. He is well liked and will be difficult to beat. 

 
Also running in Ward 11 are Menno Meijer, Rachel Powell, Vicki Van Linden all are completed the Free Press survey. Eric Deleeuw is also a candidate in the election and did not complete the London Free Press survey.
 
WARD 12
Harold Usher has decided to leave Council. This has opened up the Ward for a new face. Harold served on Council since 2000, a total of 18 years. There are 6 candidates running for the position. However, in my opinion there are two candidates worth consideration.
Elizabeth Peloza has training in Museum Conservation and Not for Profit Management. She has extensive experience in the environmental field. Her husband Matt is a past candidate for the Green Party.  Peloza is a supporter of BRT.  She believes that London deserves “a transit system that is fast, frequent reliable and affordable.” Councillor Harold Usher, who currently represents the Ward, has endorsed Peloza.
Eric Weniger is past Conservative candidate for London-Fanshawe. He is an Insurance professional. He is opposed to the BRT. Weniger supports weekly garbage pick-up, less taxes and more affordable housing. The councilor he wants to emulate is Phillip Squire. No surprise here as both are Conservatives.
The other candidates in this race are Gord Evans, Faisal Mahmood, and Rowa Mohamed. All have completed the London Free Press candidate survey. Jesse Haidar is also running but did not complete the London Free Press survey.
 
WARD 13
Tanya Park is the current representative for Ward 13. Since Ms. Park is running for Mayor it presents an opening for a new voice for the Ward.
In my view there are a number of strong candidates for the position on Council.
John Fyfe-Millar ran in the 2014 election coming second to Tanya Park. He is a business owner for the past 38 years. In his view homelessness is the major issue for the Ward and the City. He also wants to promote jobs. He is opposed to the BRT.
Jonathan Hughes is a University lecturer and a Strategy Consultant. He is an instructor in organizational behavior. His major issue is Downtown revitalization.  Hughes believes that “a great city needs great transit.” He supports BRT. He ran for the Liberals in London West in the last provincial election
Gil Warren is a long time community organizer. He stresses that the City should pursue “appropriate development that maintains heritage preservation.” He has extensive experience working with not for profits, co-ops and credit unions. He is currently the Heritage Chair of the Woodfield Community Association and a founding Board Member of the Tolpuddle Housing and Office Co-op. The politician he would like to emulate is former City Mayor Jane Bigalow.
Kevin Wilbee is London lawyer. For him economic revitalization and development of the Downtown is the most important issue. Wilbee is opposed to the current BRT proposal.  He has served as a councillor in Huron East, just north of London. He has also worked on Parliament Hill and as Office Manager at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture in Toronto.
Arielle Kayabagwe is also running and submitted a response to the London Free Press survey. Rod Morley is also running in the Ward. He did not submit a response to the London Free Press survey.
 
WARD 14
In my view there are two serious contenders for the election in Ward 14.
Steven Hillier is Operations Manager at Haymach Canada. He does not support BRT. He has lived in the Ward for 24 years. He says that he is disappointed with the “lack of representation on the current council. He ran for the Ward in 2014 coming in third. He lost to current incumbent Jared Zaifman and Sandy White then the representative for the Ward. Hillier does not support the currently proposed BRT.
Jared Zaifman beat Councillor Sandy White in 2014. He started off strong on the Council but after a year he had an accident which significantly affected his ability to bear the work load of City Council. Zaifman did not submit a response to the London Free Press survey.  However, he is still the incumbent but is vulnerable and may lose his seat.
Annette Swalwell is also running in the Ward. She submitted a response to the London Free Press survey. Allan Tipping is also running in Ward 14. He did not submit a response to the London Free Press survey.
This is my quick review of the candidates for City Council for the election on Monday October 22, 2018. It is up to each voter to inform themselves on the issues and positions of the candidates. Go to the debates and make an informed decision. It is very important to vote. If you do not vote you will have to live with the result and will have lets others determine who represents us at City Hall.