If I were mayor, I would fire five specific senior City of Hamilton staff on Day One. I am being serious.
It would come as no surprise to anyone that I would send packing the managers responsible for the cybersecurity failure, the remaining senior manager who misled Hamiltonians during the Cootes Paradise cover-up, and a director who chooses to “work remotely” instead of managing situations that need attention.
That would only be the start.
By the end of the first 100 days, as mayor, I would decrease the number of director-level managers, and I would ensure every director still employed was committed to changing the City of Hamilton’s motto from the current “the lowest quality at the highest cost” to “the best services at the best value.” (Or similar, I’d work on this campaign line before releasing it.)
However, if I were running for mayor, I would not actually speak this directly. Instead, I would speak in generalities because it is bad form to directly call for specific people to walk the proverbial plank.
Integrity Commissioner Docks Mayoral Challenger for Disparaging Staff
Good taste constrains most, but for sitting council members running for mayor and promising to fire specific staff, there is another constraint: integrity commissioners.
In a recently released decision, municipal Integrity Commissioner Tony Fleming recommended a 30-day remuneration suspension for a Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley (pop. 9,545) councillor who, if elected mayor, is promising to fire three identified members of staff.
“The Member disparaged the professional reputation of several staff members to other staff and to members of the public. The nature of the comments made were serious and tended to lower the professional reputation of the staff named,” Fleming wrote. “This is a serious breach of the Code of Conduct and could have significant negative impacts on the staff involved.”
Sitting council members across Ontario should take note.
Hired to be Fired: The CAO
Mayors are accountable to voters, and Strong Mayor powers increase that accountability. Mayors can no longer blame the rest of council for failing to deliver on their promises.
A newly elected mayor is entitled, and frankly expected, to hire a Chief Administrative Officer (City Manager) that ensures they deliver on their promises to voters. A mayor who promises, for example, to improve public transit should be expected to hire a transit director who is equally, if not more, committed to fulfilling those promises.
Every Ontario municipal CAO knows they enjoy the same job security as a professional league sports coach — which is to say they’ve been hired to be fired. If things are going well, they keep their job. If things are not going well, they are replaced.
The ownership of a professional sports team never disparages the coach, never explicitly says they will fire the coach, they simply say it is time for a new direction, it is time for a new approach.
Ontario’s mayoral candidates would be wise to look to sports management, and conduct their public campaigns accordingly.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: August 26, 2026
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
Discussion
1 commentMakes sense. I still think the fish rots from the head on down. Arrrg. Walk the plank Andrea