With 210 days until Hamiltonians vote on October 24, today’s election news was surprisingly busy.
1) Bob Bratina formally announces he is running for Mayor, again.
2) Councillor Judi Partridge is not seeking re-election in Ward 15.
3) The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board changes ward allocations in the first significant change since its creation in 1998.
4) City Clerk announces details on vote-by-mail ballots.
Bob Bratina is Running for Mayor
Bob Bratina is officially running for Mayor of Hamilton.
Bratina says his experience as mayor from 2010 to 2014 combined with his experience as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2021 makes him the best candidate to lead a new council after the election.
Bratina made his announcement on CHML earlier this evening, the station where he was a popular morning show host for decades prior to entering politics.
Bratina says he will bring “experience that will amplify and benefit, youthful approaches and new ideas.”
During a brief interview with CHML host Scott Radley, Bratina focused on affordability by keeping taxes low as he did in the past as mayor, stated he is only one vote on LRT but the City needs to have a “Plan B” if construction costs increase, says a new Council will not have some of the “very large personalities” councillors he clashed with during 2010 to 2014, and “in this time of instability” a new Council “needs a veteran hand at the tiller.”
More quotes from the interview and a video of one of the clashes at Council during Bratina’s tenure in the fuller story on TPR here: Former Mayor Bob Bratina Running for Mayor in 2022
Councillor Judi Partridge is not seeking re-election in Ward 15
Waterdown-Flamborough Councillor Judi Partridge announced this morning that she will not seek a fourth term on City Council.
“I’ve decided I am not going to run. I’ve served three terms. It’s 12 years,” Partridge stated to CHCH reporter Sean Cowan. “In my first term, I said that I believed in term limits, and I still believe in term limits.”
In a statement posted to Facebook, Partridge listed achievements during her three terms on City Council.
Partridge’s announcement means there are three incumbent members of Council who’ve announced they will not seek re-election.
Ward 4’s Sam Merulla and Ward 11’s Brenda Johnson have been announced they will not run for council again.
Former Ward 5 Councillor Chad Collins is now the Member of Parliament for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek.
As I detailed in a story earlier today, this puts Council one member announcing retirement short of being “Lame Duck” on August 19.
The City’s planning staff have to prioritize work to prevent developers from taking advantage of this. More on TPR here: Partridge Not Seeking Re-election: Lame Duck Council Potential and Impacts at City Hall
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board changes ward allocations in the first significant change since its creation in 1998.
HWDSB elections in Wards 1 and 2 will now elect their own trustee in each ward for the first time since 1998 as the public school board’s trustees approved new ward allotments.
The residents of Stoney Creek will continue to share a trustee with another ward, just different wards this time.
The old Ward 9 & 10 is being split.
Upper Stoney Creek (Ward 9) will now share a trustee with the East Mountain (Ward 6).
Lower Stoney Creek (Ward 10) will now share a trustee with East Hamilton (Ward 5).
More details, and some history of trustee representation in the post-1998 HWDSB and in the pre-1998 City and County boards in the fuller TPR story here: Hamilton Public School Trustees Adopt New Wards for 2022 Election
City Hall Releases Details on Mail Ballots
Hamiltonians will be able to vote by mail in the October municipal election after the City of Hamilton added the option in response to the COVID pandemic.
The City says people will be able to request mail ballots using an online form between September 1st and 22nd using an online form on the City of Hamilton website.
All mail ballots must arrive at City Hall by election day, October 22, to be counted.
The mail ballot packages will include a prepaid postage return envelope.
People can also drop their ballots at City Hall.
More information on the City of Hamilton elections website here.
Top Photo: Newly sworn in as Mayor of Hamilton, Bob Bratina delivers his inaugural address at the Hamilton Convention Centre on December 1, 2010. From Joey’s photo archive on Flickr.