Hamilton not only has a new mayor, but nine new faces in city council after Monday’s municipal election.
The city clerks office says about 35 per cent of the city’s residents cast a ballot on Oct. 24, equating to 143,375 out of the 405,288 eligible voters in the city.
The election featured 91 individuals who signed on in an attempt to become a voice in council, including nine mayoral hopefuls looking to succeed Mayor Fred Eisenberger — who said in June he would not be seeking re-election.
Former NDP leader Andrea Horwath has snapped up the job as the city’s top politician, edging out former chamber of commerce boss Keanin Loomis who finished second in voting.
With all 246 polls reporting as of Tuesday, Horwath garnered 41.68 per cent of ballots (59,216 votes) to Loomis’ 40.51 per cent (57,553).
Former mayor Bob Bratina finished a distant third with just 12.27 per cent.
Nine of the city’s 15 wards saw new councillors emerge partly due to a number of sitting councillors not seeking re-election.
Ward 4 incumbent Sam Merulla, Ward 11’s Brenda Johnson, Ward 12’s Lloyd Ferguson, Ward 14’s Terry Whitehead and Ward 15’s Judi Partridge were among those not running again for office.
Ward 5 sees a new face following the departure of Chad Collins to federal politics and Russ Powers, who was appointed to sit for Collins, not running in 2022.
Incumbents that ran and didn’t retain their seat included Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr who was beaten by Cameron Kroetsch, Ward 10’s Maria Pearson upended by Jeff Beattie and Ward 13’s Arlene VanderBeek defeated by Alex Wilson.
On Thurs. Oct. 27, the city clerk’s office certified election results.
Here’s a look at the nine new faces that will join the mayor on council starting November 16:
Ward 2: Cameron Kroetsch
A former union president and small business owner, Cameron Kroetsch focused his campaign on battling alleged secrecy and coverups exposed during the city’s last term of council.
“We must earn back the trust we have lost. I am committed to this vision and to working with every Hamiltonian to make this city the best it can be,” the candidate said in his 2022 platform.
He had eight extensive priorities that specifically targeted matters in Ward 2 as well as the city in general.
Environmental stewardship, affordable housing, accountable leadership, safe neighbourhoods, dependable transit, community engagement, responsive services and sustainable growth headlined his goals.
Some of the specifics included monitoring and reducing various forms pollution across Hamilton, updating the city’s governance model and developing policy to mitigate “missing middle” housing.
Kroetsch’s 3,619 votes on Monday was enough to beat four opponents including incumbent Jason Farr who came second in the race with 2,412 votes.
Farr, who served three terms as Ward 2 councillor, had also took a shot at provincial politics in 2022 running as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.
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He finished third in the June 2 election losing out to Progressive Conservative Neil Lumsden.
In a couple of social media posts, Kroetsch expressed excitement for the future and characterized his campaign as “a team effort.”
“I couldn’t have done this alone. Here’s to brighter days ahead, for all of us.”
He went on to address his disappointment with only 16 per cent of eligible voters in the ward participating in Monday’s election.
“I am committed to doing something about that, with whatever power I have, and with whomever wants to collaborate,” Kroetsch said.
Ward 4: Tammy Hwang
A former business development officer with the city and small business owner, Ward 4 councillor-elect Tammy Hwang summarized her job as a “common ground facilitator and communicator”, according to her website.
The Ward 4 resident outlined her priorities in three categories targeting families, businesses and the city.
Health supports to maintain family lifestyles, connecting small business with funding, alternative modes of transportation and collaborating on an affordable housing solutions were top line goals highlighted in her campaign platform.
Hwang was a winner in one of two wards that had a long list of candidates, 11, vying to replace Sam Merulla who held the post since 2000.
Gathering 23 per cent of the vote, Hwang beat out ATU Local 107 president Eric Tuck as well as HWDSB trustee and former chair Alex Johnstone who finished second and third respectively.
Hwang told Global News there’s comfort in the fact she will not be alone with eight other new faces joining her first day at city hall.
She suggests experience from the likes of Horwath and former Ontario Liberal and Flamborough mayor Ted McMeekin should precipitate a “collaborative spirit”
“We have so much experience around this council table that I’m super excited for new ideas and new ways of being presented and moving things forward,” Hwang said.
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Council’s pressing issues surrounding affordable housing, homelessness, public health and public transit were top of mind for residents Hwang says she met on the campaign trail.
All are matters affect the region with an audit of the ‘Complete Streets’ road safety audit something the former candidate heard “time and time again” from almost every street.
“They’re concerned with how traffic is moving about the city,” said Hwang.
“But also how … big developments like the LRT or the Brock University development or the Delta Secondary School development, and how we are going to move about the city when construction happens.”
Ward 5: Matt Francis
Former city employee and broadcaster Matt Francis had six priorities on his list of initiatives when he started his campaign to represent Ward 5 in the municipal election.
Low taxes, no overdevelopment, safer communities, upgrades to basic city services, affordable housing and the environment formed the basis of his campaign pledges amid the race for the east Red Hill area.
He told Global News developments characterized as “far out of line” will be big on his list of items when entering council for his first 100 days suggesting some like a Mount Albion project on Greenhill Avenue didn’t involve consultation with residents.
“I’m going to oppose these for our community and … any developments that come forward need to be an enhancement for our community and not harm our community,” Francis said.
Francis also faced a large pool of new candidates, 11, seeking to step into shoes left behind by Chad Collins who departed to federal politics after some 26 years at the council post.
Over 43 per cent of voters helped Francis, a former co-ordinator for Collins’ federal election campaign, take the ward winning comfortably by about 2,600 votes over Environment Hamilton’s Lynda Lukasik who placed second.
He says a new mayor and nine new faces in council should bring “a fresh, new chapter” for the city and hopes for few disagreements in the next four years through “good decorum.”
“I’m all ears listening to everybody and always take an approach with an open mind,” said Francis.
“That’s how I’m going to operate at City Hall my first hundred days.”
Ward 10: Jeff Beattie
Jeff Beattie put over-building, infrastructure upgrades, new bus routes to Winona Crossing as well as trust and transparency of city governance on his list matters to delve into should he get a seat on Hamilton’s council.
With the latter now in the books, clinching a tight race in Ward 10 on Monday night, the lifelong resident of Lower Stoney Creek and owner of Winona Gardens says he’s optimistic of what can be achieved in the first 100 days of office.
“I’m kind of seeing some similarities to when I joined the school board in 2014,” he told Global News.
“We had a largely new board at the time, a lot of new faces around the table, and I think I can draw on some of that experience of of having gone through that.”
Beattie believes his win, an upset unceding 19-year stalwart Maria Pearson, was representative of “a big dissatisfaction with the status quo.”
“People were just tired of same old, same old,” said Beattie.
“I feel like as a community, and perhaps as a city as a whole, were feeling like we were stuck in a rut.”
While going door to door in his campaign, a common issue with constituents in the ward size, scale and scope of new developments in existing neighborhoods that appear not to fit the model of a given street.
“A lot of concern about how do we make these new developments fit better, make more sense in a local context,” Beattie said.
“Hasn’t been something that’s been really discussed community wise, and I hope to be able to fix that.”
Beattie took Ward 10 in the Oct. 24 election with 4236 votes defeating investor and professor Louie Milojevic by about 800 votes.
It was Milojevic second attempt in the ward having missed out on a council seat in the 2018 election, finishing second.
Maria Pearson was bottom of the 2022 three-person race amassing 3000 votes.
Ward 11: Mark Tadeson
Six key issues, including better roads and containing the city’s existing urban boundary, were the focus of former HWDSB principal Mark Tadeson’s run to become councillor for Ward 11.
The lifelong Glanbrook resident also campaigned behind better community planning of multi-use facilities and support for commercial developments bringing jobs, goods and services closer to residents.
Tadeson is set to occupy the seat Brenda Johnson vacated after 12 years at the post.
He squeaked out a victory over four candidates on Monday collecting 2,829 votes, beating social worker and psychotherapist Nick Lauwers by some 80 votes.
Stopping Illegal dumping, a review of area rating and support for a greener economy in existing industrial lands were also a part of Tadeson campaign priorities during the 2022 election.
Ward 12: Craig Cassar
Craig Cassar says his win Monday night “matched expectations” amid months of campaigning which saw him knock on nearly 10,000 doors.
“We had a pretty good chance and really good feedback talking to people at the door and on the street,” he remembers.
Noted for being a supply chain director for Maple Leaf Foods, Cassar took on nine others in the Ward 12 battle coming out with 4960 votes and bettering second place finisher retired city facilities, operations and maintenance manager, Chuck Alkerton by some 2,300 votes.
Cassar says developing a “strong culture” among the new councillors at city hall is the first priority citing little will be done over the next four years without it.
His campaign platform focused on four main areas: transparent and accountable leadership, safe and inclusive neighbourhoods, responsible and sustainable growth as well as climate and environmental stewardship.
“A main point under that was dangerous driving on streets,” Cassar told Global News in a year Hamilton has seen 18 traffic fatalities, 12 more than in 2021.
“So that needs to be addressed. Complete Streets support is what I’ve proposed in my platform. So that’s really the one top thing of many things that needs to get done.”
Ward 13: Alex Wilson
Alex Wilson believes the win on Monday was a “clear endorsement” of the things his campaign were running on which included advocating for tenant rights, a focus on the city’s climate, fixing degrading ecosystems and economic development.
“I’m thinking about Ward 13, we have such a strong mandate here,” Wilson told Global News.
“We took nearly 60 per cent of the vote, that’s … not just a repudiation of the status quo, but an endorsement of some of the things we were running on.
Wilson upset incumbent Arlene VanderBeek who was running to be Ward 13 (Central Flamborough and Dundas) councillor for a third term.
The upstart gathered 7,038 votes on Oct. 24 bettering VanderBeek by some 1,900 votes.
Wilson says his first 100 days will target “common ground” the mayor and councillors share to move on agenda items that need to be delivered quickly.
“I think it’s really important that we post early wins not just for ourselves, but for the people of Hamilton, and show that things truly can be different,” said Wilson who is the first ever openly non-binary person to be elected.
Wilson believes two of the biggest issues are the climate and housing crisis’ in the city and he intends to be joining a youth at a climate strike in front of City Hall this week.
“I think that’s a great way to bring in these new councillors,” Wilson said.
“It’s a reminder that now’s not the time to pat ourselves on the back. Now’s the time to get to work. Hopefully things like this can be really a galvanizing factor for all of us.”
Ward 14: Mike Spadafora
Community safety and engagement are the “big focus” for new Ward 14 councillor Mike Spadafora who beat out six other candidates on Oct. 24 to take the seat representing the West Mounatin.
Spadafora, a small business owner and Progressive Conservative candidate for Hamilton Mountain in the 2022 Ontario election, told Global News that the budget will also be key with current inflation woes on the minds of constituents.
“Obviously, taxes is something that’s going to be discussed because depending on how the budget rolls out, you know, it’ll obviously affect everybody’s property tax,” Spadafora said.
Putting together a plan to aid those in need of affordable housing, support for law enforcement and infrastructure upgrades were on his list or priorities during door knocking ventures during the campaign.
“Just building communities that are going to be safe for our children, to be able to go to parks and splash pads … riding bikes,” he said.
“All those things that I think everybody wants for their families.”
The new councillor sweated it out Monday night amid a tight race with Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion executive Kojo Damptey.
Spadafora posted 2,610 votes to pull off a 79 vote win over the second place Damptey.
There were a total of seven candidates in the race for Ward 14.
Ward 15: Ted McMeekin
Former Liberal MPP, provincial cabinet minister and mayor of Flamborough Ted McMeekin brings an arsenal of experience to the table following his win in Ward 15 on Monday night.
McMeekin amassed 3,091 votes and beat out four candidates for the job including Zobia Jawed, a water and wastewater management expert with McMaster Unversity, by 640 votes.
“People that are close to me have been suggesting for some time now it was perhaps time for me to get back in the arena and use whatever skills and talents … I can bring to the city to make it a stronger, more caring place, McMeekin told Global News.
The 74-year-old, who has 22 years of experience in politics, highlighted disappointment with city council as a catalyst for entering the race.
Handling of the 24 billion litre Chedoke Creek spill and concerns over the safety of the Red Hill Valley Parkway were two instances he suggests council “lost” the trust of constituents.
Going into his first 100 days in office, he says another priority is the city’s industrial-commercial to residential tax ratio which he submits puts uneven pressure on residents.
“Our industrial-commercial to residential tax ratio is 14 per cent industrial-commercial to 86 per cent residential,” McMeekin said.
“If you’ve got a house of equal value in Toronto to any place in Hamilton, property tax paid in residential is 38.4 percent less in Toronto because they’re closer to a 50/50 ratio.”
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