By Pepper Parr

July 28^th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

There are five working days before Curt Benson takes on the role of Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Burlington.

Curt Benson: Commissioner of Development and Growth Management

He will hold that title and all the work that goes with it until the day before the new council is sworn in October of 2026

The new council, the one that gets elected in October of 2026 will decide who the next CAO will be.

Benson will continue to be the Commissioner of Development and Growth Management  – the most important of the three Commissioners the city has.

Curt Benson is a decent human being.  He served as the head of planning at the Regional level.  When Regional planning devolved to the municipalities. Burlington was fortunate enough to hire Benson.

He does a superb job – it’s a big job – major developments are in various stages of development; funding from the federal and provincial levels has to be managed – no small task, I might add.

The work load Benson has been handed (Yes, he did accept it) will be brutal.  The time to think through the decisions just may not be available to the man.  He is fortunate in that he has some grade A people in the planning department.

We wish Benson well and hope that he manages to get some personal time.

There has been no explanation from City Hall on why appointing a CAO for a short period of time was chosen – rather than begin the process of advertising and selecting a new CAO.

Is one of the reasons that the city might have a problem attracting someone with the experience and skills that are needed?   There aren’t that many really good administrators out there and Burlington’s reputation as a great place to work isn’t what it was when Hassaan Basit was hired.

Hassaan Basit

I personally don’t understand why a professional enters into a five-year contract and walks away from it 16 months later because a nicer job came along.  The reasons given don’t pass my smell test.   Personal, family or health matters would justify a decision like that.

During Basit’s final council meeting July 15^th,  Basit and Mayor Meed Ward couldn’t say enough about how much they enjoyed working with each other.

The current Council is so tight-lipped that none of them chose to make comments about their working relationship with the outgoing CAO.

Not healthy signs.

By Pepper Parr

May 12^th, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

By now the members of Council who spent five days in Holland commemorating the liberation of that country 80 years ago are back home

Mayor Meed Ward at a wreath placing event in Apeldoorn with the Mayor of that city.

Little by little we learn just how many people were on what can now be fairly called a junket. The Mayor took her husband with her; Councillor Galbraith, who was not part of the official delegation,  is believed to have taken one of his older children with him and Councillor Nisan is understood to have taken members of his family with him as well.

They will individually picked up the cost of the airfare and whatever increase there might have been in accommodation.  As for meals – did family members attend any of the official events.

Given the tight economic conditions and the voiced public concern about fiscal responsibility, it might have been wiser for the Mayor to travel with one person, lay the wreath, attend the critical events and returned to Canada.

The Teen Tour Band has its own budget as does the Mundialization committee.

The word we are getting from people is that this city council doesn’t understand what fiscal responsibility is.

We’ve learned as well that the Mayor sent a note to all of the administrative assistants working for the members of Council suggesting language that might be used when people ask about the trip to Holland.

The public is losing patience with this Council.

By Staff

January 23^rd, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

We are told that the Mayor’s Office is telling people that the BRAG numbers are wrong.

This information came to us from a reliable source, but it was secondhand.  Tracking what comes out of the Office of the Mayor is difficult when there is next to nothing in terms of their communicating with the Gazette.

A taxpayer did his version of what the taxes were over a number of years as well as calculating the cumulative tax rate.

Here is what a resident sent us.

The numbers displayed in this article are basically the same as those BRAG produced.

Taxes are a fact of life. They tend to go up – they can be reduced but in reality, not that much.
The challenge for Burlington has two parts: A city hall that will be honest and direct with the taxpayers; and taxpayers that accept what the city is up against.

Burlington has been told that it must grow its population. More people means more in the way of services and those services cost money. Both sides need to grow up and accept the realities.

The hard part is dealing with a pay rate within city hall that is much higher than that paid in the private sector. That is where the problem is and coming to terms with that is close to an impossible task.  Civil servants at the municipal level are paid much more than that paid in the private sector.  Add to that benefits that are just plain very good.

It would take decades to bring about a change and it would probably have to be done at the provincial level.

The upside?  Encourage your children to find work at the municipal level.

Salt with Pepper is an opinion column reflecting the observations and musings of the publisher of the Gazette, an on-line newspaper that is in its 12th year as a news source in Burlington and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

By Pepper Parr

November 6th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

Two words.

Buyers remorse.

The America we knew is dead.

I was wrong on the Presidency, the Senate and the House.

The Americans are about to find out.

By Pepper Parr

September 9^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

For the political junkies out there – the times could not be better.

The American presidential race, along with the races in each state for Electoral College Votes, is equal to top of the line LSD.

The federal election that could put the leadership of the country in the hands of the Conservative Party that I believe would do close to irreparable harm to the country and to the environment could take place very soon – well ahead of the expected date of 2025.

The race at the provincial level has actually started – no one has told the public yet.

Internationally there has to be an election in Israel at some point – and then the continuation of the trial that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces can take place.  The impact in the United States of that trial will depend on who becomes the President of the United States.

In Ontario the most recent polling results from Abacus Research and commentary from Tom Parkin on those numbers will keep the political chattering class going for at least a week.

Study the numbers and let us know what you think.

NDP has access to largest anti-Poilievre swing vote, poll shows

Number of voters who would swing behind NDP to stop Poilievre is 50% larger than the group willing to vote Liberal to stop him

When the public gets to hear what Poilievre will do to environmental issues and the number of programs in place now: dental, pharmacare, child care – time of course will tell.

To stop Pierre Poilievre, 55 per cent of current Liberal, Green or Bloc supporters would “definitely” or “probably” swing their support to Jagmeet Singh’s NDP if they were best positioned, according to the most recent poll from Abacus Research.

The NDP’s potential swing group, which represents 17 per cent of the Canadian electorate, would boost the NDP within close range of the poll-leading Conservatives.

The NDP’s potential anti-Poilievre momentum is more than 50 per cent larger than the group open to following the Liberals to stop Poilievre. Only 11 per cent of Canadians drawn from current NDP, Green or Bloc supporters would definitely or probably vote Liberal to stop Poilievre.

Majority of Greens, Liberals would switch to NDP

My personal view is the Justin Trudeau can beat Pierre Poilievre if only because he is the lesser of two evils. But let us be clear Trudeau has made a lot of mistakes and people are angry.

Among Green supporters, 57 per cent would definitively or probably switch to the NDP to stop Poilievre, but only 36 per cent would switch to the Liberals.

For Bloc supporters, 36 per cent could swing to the NDP to stop Poilievre while 42 per cent could move to the Liberals.

And while 59 per cent of Liberals could swing to the NDP to stop Poilievre, only 50 per cent of NDP supporters are willing to make the same move for the Liberals.

Ending deal helps NDP access pool of voters “negatively affiliated” with Conservatives

The same poll found 40 per cent of current Conservative voters, representing 17 per cent of the electorate, are “negatively affiliated” to the Conservatives. For this group, their primary vote motivation is a dislike for the Trudeau Liberals rather than liking the Poilievre Conservatives.

In contrast, 79 per cent of NDP supporters are motivated by liking Singh’s NDP, rather than disliking another party or leader.

Will Jagmeet Singh make the same mistakes Thomas Mulcair made?

Jagmeet Singh, in breaking his association with the Trudeau Liberals, may now be better able to access this 17 per cent of voters with the Conservatives for anti-Liberal reasons.

Switching three of those 17 points to the NDP and adding its swing vote would pull the NDP into a tie with the Conservatives, with both just below likely majority territory.

Simultaneously coalescing an anti-Poilivre vote and peeling away some negatively affiliated Conservatives presents a tangible if narrow pathway for the NDP to stop the Poilievre Conservatives, a pathway blocked for the Liberals, antipathy for whom is a major component of Poilievre’s success.

Tom Parkin is a principal with Impact Strategies.

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.

By Pepper Parr

February 16th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

Some movement on that Special Council Meeting that the public was not able to see on the webcast.

There was no information on the city website about a Special meeting of Council – even though the Mayor had advised her colleagues not to leave after the adjournment of a meeting of Council.

We waited to watch the webcast once the room has been “reset”.

When we saw nothing we reached out to Councillor Paul Sharman who assured us there was nothing much of interest.

We then reached out to the City Clerk.  The answer to the questions we asked is as follows:

The meeting after Council was a continuation of the closed session meeting that was entered into on January 12, 2024, with respect to the City Manager interviews and deliberations.

As per the motion, the notice provisions are waived for this meeting. A report out in open session is forthcoming.

First question is:  How long did the meeting last?

Second question is: Why do they need two days to report out on a meeting ?  That level of information is usually given when the come out of the CLOSED session.

City Manager Tim Commisso working his cell phone – Mayor Med Ward looking on – wondering perhaps?

We have suspected that the meeting was related to the position of city manager.   Tim Commisso is scheduled to leave at the end of June.  The interviewing process is currently taking place.

The City did send us the Minutes for the February 12th meeting.  How you date the minutes February 12 for a meeting that took place on the 14th is beyond us.

Those minutes are set out in their entirety:

Special Meeting of Council Minutes

Members Present:
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Kelvin Galbraith, Lisa Kearns, Rory Nisan, Paul Sharman, Angelo Bentivegna

Member Regrets: Shawna Stolte

Staff Present:Tim Commisso, Samantha Yew (Deputy Clerk), Sue Evfremidis, Richard Bellemare (Audio/Video Specialist), Debbie Hordyk

  Note: This City Council meeting was conducted using a hybrid model, allowing members of Council, city staff and delegations the option of participating remotely or in- person.

1. Call to Order:
2. Regrets:
3. Land Acknowledgement:

The Chair read the land acknowledgement.

4. Approval of the Agenda:

Moved by: Councillor Sharman Seconded by: Councillor Nisan

Approve the agenda as presented.

CARRIED

5. Declarations of Interest:

None.

6. 6. 6. Delegations:
         • Jim Thompson spoke regarding City Manager Recruitment (HR-02-24)
      7. Items to be considered at the Special Meeting of Council:
      8. City Manager Recruitment (HR-02-24)

   Set out in blue below is the information we had to chase the Communication

Moved by: Councillor Bentivegna Seconded by: Councillor Kearns

That Council proceed into Special Council Closed Session meetings in January and February 2024, to conduct confidential interviews and deliberations related to the recruitment of the City Manager position pursuant to Municipal Act, 2001 sections:

239(2)(b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, and

239(2)(k), a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board; and

Direct the City Clerk to schedule Special Council Closed Session meetings as required to conduct confidential interviews and deliberations for City Manager position in the months of January and February pursuant to Municipal Act, 2001 sections:

239(2)(b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, and

239(2)(k), a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board, and;

That this resolution satisfies the Closed Session meeting requirements set out in section 239(4)(a) of the Municipal Act, 2001 and Section 27.2 of the City’s Procedure By-law for any meetings scheduled for the purpose of City Manager interviews and deliberations; and

Waive the notice and agenda provisions of the Procedure By-law including sections 22.1, 24.5, 24.6 for all meetings called for the purpose of City Manager interviews and deliberations; and

Waive the Closed Session provisions of section 27.6 of the Procedure By- law to allow the result of these meetings be reported collectively out at future meeting of Council, where Chair will accept a motion regarding the matters discussed in the closed sessions, or alternatively advise that direction had been given to staff during the closed sessions in accordance with the Municipal Act.

IN FAVOUR: (6): Mayor Meed Ward, Councillor Galbraith, Councillor Kearns, Councillor Nisan, Councillor Sharman, and Councillor Bentivegna

CARRIED (6 to 0)

• Motion to Receive and File Information Items:

Moved by: Councillor Nisan Seconded by: Councillor Galbraith

Receive and file information items, having been considered by Council:

CARRIED

 Delegation notes from Jim Thomson regarding City Manager Recruitment (HR-02-24)

9. Motion to Confirm Proceedings of the Council Meeting:

Moved by: Councillor Sharman Seconded by: Councillor Galbraith

Enact and pass By-law Number 01-2024 being a by-law to confirm the proceedings of Special Council at its meeting held January 12, 2024 being read a first, second and third time.

IN FAVOUR: (6): Mayor Meed Ward, Councillor Galbraith, Councillor Kearns, Councillor Nisan, Councillor Sharman, and Councillor Bentivegna

CARRIED (6 to 0)

 Motion to Adjourn:

Moved by: Councillor Nisan Seconded by: Councillor Kearns

Adjourn this Council now to meet again at the call of the Mayor. 9:15 a.m. (recess), 9:17 a.m. (reconvene), 9:18 a.m. (adjourned)

CARRIED
Samantha Yew
Deputy Clerk

Marianne Meed Ward
Mayor

Related news story:

Councillor Sharman assures the Gazette

Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.