COLLINS: Did we ever see this coming?

Council has pushed back, unanimously voting down the mayor on virtually everything. Holding closed-door meetings without the mayor being invited, holding a news conference where all eight councillors stood against the mayor, the Chief Administrative Officer reportedly working from home on occasion so he can actually get work done, phone calls being recorded without the other side knowing, an awful lot of time spent drafting policies relating to codes of conduct and how to get along with others, something most of us learn in Grades 2 or 3. And now someone from senior government is going to tell us how to work together.

Mayor Hamer-Jackson, in my opinion, was elected for two reasons. One, with three incumbents running, they split a lot of the vote, and two, and maybe most importantly, he hit a nerve with people about community safety.

People were getting concerned about an increase in crime. Hamer-Jackson vowed to get a handle on it. And a year later, we are worse off. I don’t know what the statistics show, but the perception is that we’re worse off. Whether it’s partly a homelessness issue, coupled with more repeat offenders and an influx of organized crime, it’s hard to say. But we’re sure not making headway.

We are putting committees in place but so far, it’s a lot of talk with few tangible results. In fact, that’s pretty much the story of council after one year. There have been a few things approved, but mostly it’s putting strategic plans in place that may lead to something years down the road.

It’s just not good enough, and it’s not just the Mayor, it’s Council as a whole. If Council can’t get things rolling, they risk losing the faith of the public. In fact, that’s probably already happened.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Doug Collins

COLLINS: Did we ever see this coming?

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