By Pepper Parr
October 26, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON
It isn’t always about who wins – it is often about how much they win by.
Looking at the Council you are going to elect on Monday – some thoughts on what to look for.
Ward 1
If Rick Craven gets anything less than 80% of the vote – his grip on Aldershot will not be what it was. Watch for the vote count Gary Milne gets.
Councillor Meed Ward
Ward 2
If Marianne Meed Ward falls below 70% of the vote – she has a problem
Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor .
Ward 3
If John Taylor gets less than 85% – take that to mean there is a change in the wind.
Will Councillor Jack Dennison have more time to skate?
Ward 4
Dennison could be gone – but it might prove to be a very tight race. The Roseland people exert a lot of clout. If Gottlob was able to penetrate the community south of Upper Middle Road as well as the community between Prospect and New Street Jack Dennison is in trouble. Total tossup in ward four.
Ward 5
Will Councillor Paul Sharman return to the world of numbers?
Sharman could be gone – this will be a close race with the difference between Sharman and Smith as low as 50 votes.
Ward 6
The question isn’t will she win – it is can she win? As to who might replace Lancaster – it’s pretty much a guessing game. The South Asian community could have taken the seat but they put up three candidates who did nothing but squabble with each other and lost the credibility they had. The police are currently investigating the behaviour of one candidate – we know – they have asked to talk to us about some email that was sent.
While Vanessa Warren is as good as they get – does she have the reach into Millcroft and Headon one needs to win?
Does Angelo Bentivegna have the reach into both the Alton community and north of Dundas to make it past the post first? There are too many people in his home community for him to pick up what he needs there.
Will Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster have time to take up flying lessons?
Can Lancaster hold onto enough of her core vote to slip through the middle? It is very tough to get a bet on Lancaster holding her seat.
And where will Jennifer Hlusko land? She had by the far the best mind of the lot – almost too smart for the job. Did she pick up any traction? Will her school board tenure work for her?
And finally – what will Jim Curran end up with when the votes are counted? He believes he has solid support within the Hindu community – will they put their X beside his name? It is a secret ballot.
For Mayor Goldring this election is going to be the equivalent of a performance review. He will still drive the car the city provides him in December. What will be interesting to see is how deep a bite Peter Rusin takes out of his hide.
The Mayor will still have his bling Tuesday morning – it just might not be as shiny
If Peter Rusin picks up more than 30% Rick Goldring needs to re-think the way he serves this city as Mayor. Anne Marsden might get 10% – probably less. The Marsden’s asked good questions and were spot on with several of the issues they brought forward.
Rick Goldring does not want to be at the 60% level.
The election results will be available on the “front page” of the Gazette. Just click on the icon and check out the different ward results.
We were not able to include the school board results in our reports. It was a matter of time and resources.
Gary Carr will still be Regional Chair on Tuesday.
Rick Craven – Needs a hug. His body language and facial expression makes it look as though he hates his job, and would prefer a dictatorship over having to actually deal with people. Will be re-elected, so let’s see if he can perhaps crack a smile over these next 4 years…
Marianne Meed Ward – Loves the spotlight. Currently auditioning for the role of Mayor in 2018. Will be re-elected, and will hopefully learn over the next 4 years that there is much more to running this city than pandering to her Ward 2 loyalists… needs to open her eyes to the bigger picture.
John Taylor – Has had a stone in his shoe for several years now. He smiles a lot, but still somehow seems grumpy about everything. Will be re-elected, has served his city well, but should maybe take these next 4 years to think about life after municipal politics.
Jack Dennison – Arguably the best and most practical Councillor this city has, great at weighing the pros and cons of issues. Should have maybe done more of that before applying for his own severance. Could be in trouble over that mistake, which would be a real loss to Burlington.
Paul Sharman – Accounting guru with a lot to offer this city if given another chance. If his hair colour over these past 4 years is any indication, this job is more stressful than he may have thought. Hasn’t done much in the way of campaigning, signs are small and nearly invisible. Could be in trouble tonight. Can’t help but wonder if he may secretly be okay with that.
Blair Lancaster – In way over her head. Nice lady, should stick to her former day-job. Not meant for politics. Definitely in trouble tonight, however the sheer number of candidates running against her could actually water down the vote so much so, that even a small percentage of the vote could see her returning for another 4 years… much to everyone’s surprise.
Rick Goldring – Has just recently referred to these past 4 years as his set up term, a nice way to spin it, acknowledging in hindsight that not much has been accomplished. Has been a weak Mayor thus far, but will be re-elected. Okay, now that he’s set things up, let’s see what he can do. More of the same will see him handing off the baton to a new Mayor in 4 years.
Be sure to get out and vote today! Remember, if you don’t vote, you surrender your right to complain about our elected officials 🙂 Best of luck to all candidates, and we thank you for your time and dedication to our great city!
I concur with Penny. Burlington deserves a council and regional representatives that actually walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Its time for the CIty to gets its act together…… Enough with the Old Boy’s club and pay cheque collectors..
The results will be very interesting. It would be nice to see some of the “old boys club” gone. I hope that residents actually take the time to see what candidates stand for and not just vote by name recognition. At the end of the day residents will get what they deserve – hopefully it will be good.