By Pepper Parr
March 19th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Set out below is a statement the Mayor posted on her Facebook page.
What disturbs me is what a colleague described as “… so much “me too, me too” that it’s embarrassing – like something out of High School.”
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
Missing is any sense of grace or civility. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward knows that her Council colleague Lisa Kearns earned the identical professional designation but our Mayor was not able to congratulate the ward 2 Councillor for her accomplishment.
Missed was an opportunity to tell people that Burlington is probably the only municipality in Ontario (perhaps the whole country) to have two people on council who have earned the designation and both are female.
What is wrong with this woman – it isn’t just all about her.
Where are her oft used phases: collaboration, working together as part of a team. Meed Ward says frequently that Burlington has a “giddy up” city council.
The statement explains why several of the Councillors don’t want to put up with the way the Mayor interacts with them. Not a good sign as Council moves into the final term of their mandate.
Time for a reset if she expects to get re-elected.
This is such a disappointment after the success of getting a new Official Plan in place and changing where high rise developments will appear.
She can be better than this.
Burlington doesn’t need anymore princesses and princes.There is enough seemingly entitled people who have moved here thinking they can run roughshod over old burlintonians. That includes developers, foreign investors and there ilk. Is there someone from burlington with loyalty that can bring some stability to council. Oh l forgot Jane Mckenna is from burlington and there isn’t any concern about the legacy she will be leaving. I wish l was younger l like to give them a run for their money. Also just found out some city employees have to work at city hall as they don’t have the technology at home. Again if l was making a city hall salary l would buy my own computer. Signed an invisible senior.
And you are surprised by this?
Time will certainly tell just where this Mayor stands in comparison to her predecessors and what her legacy will be. At the very least, we have never had a personality that has attracted so much attention and commentary. I’m not sure that’s a good thing actually.
Perhaps our Mayor senses that Lisa Kearns is becoming a competitor?
Might even decide to run against her during the next election? Mmmmm..
It is all about her. It always has been. The fresh flock of Council sheep were happy to follow her in the beginning when she was in her height of glory, first primarily Kearns, and now primarily Nisan, they didn’t know what Sharman knew. She was perceived as the beacon of hope, the trigger of change, riding an opportunistic wave of popularity with her anti-development message that her new Council cohorts wanted to ride. But some time has since passed, the shine has worn off. Eyes are opening. Several of the new Councillors are coming into their own. Stolte, Bentivegna, and occasionally even Galbraith are forming opinions of their own, with Sharman no longer being the sole voice of reason. People are starting to realize that maybe all those former Councillors she ran out of town weren’t in fact the problem afterall. Ricks Goldring and Craven are surely sitting back smirking and thinking, I told you so. The election can’t come soon enough. The only question is whether there is a worthy candidate willing to step up. Sit down Rory, we don’t mean you.
Well written Pepper! I can’t say I’m surprised. If you read MMW’s many FB posts, she is a shameless self-promoter. In this regard, she and Gould are cut from the same cloth—excellent retail politicians who create the illusion of their involvement and record of achievement(?), except I start asking myself, “What have they really accomplished?” And sadly for Burlington, the answer is not much.
Is there anyone among us who at some time has not self-promoted? Seems to me that “shameless” is not needed.