Hopefully our new city council does better this time | Opinion

Ottawa City Hall Photo by ERROL MCGIHON /POSTMEDIA

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In their infinite wisdom, Ottawa voters have returned to office virtually the same council that barely passed the test over the last four years.

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With onlya trio ofnew blood, it is basically the council that gave us Lansdowne 2.0, failed to fix OC Transpo, and fell short on homelessness that is coming back for an encore.

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With 22 of the 25-member council returning, we should expect more of the same this new term. Three new faces coming in, will hardly make an impact, or change the trajectory of a council that is firmly set in its ways – especially with some of the key issues coming up essentially settled.

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Voters were obviously not in a mood for change, despite public dissatisfaction on a number of issues. Municipal voters usually hold mayors accountable, but councillors — who are a significant part of city government — often escape scrutiny, largely because citizens don’t see city government the way they see a provincial or federal government. Because municipal politics is devoid of party politics, voters don’t usually assign collective responsibility to city governments that fail, as they do with higher levels of government.

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Whatever blame there is, it often falls on the mayor. But it is not only Sutcliffe who failed to fix OC Transpo, for instance. Council was culpable because its vote underlined policy failures. But here we are, with nearly all councillors returning.

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Usually, a new council hits the ground running with budget discussions, but it appears that issue is already settled. With Mayor Mark Sutcliffe already decreeing a 2.5 per cent property tax increase, there will be a lot of talk of little consequence as council rubber-stamps the increase. Don’t take any budget consultations seriously because nothing will change.

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The other big issue, perhaps the biggest issue of the time – OC Transpo’s travails – also appears to have been resolved, sort of. With Premier Doug Ford’s decision to take over LRT operations, that debacle is over. Again, sort of. The takeover means that problem becomes Ontario’s headache, and the city will take the $85 million bonanza and run. No massive deficits to worry about again. But the takeover leaves big questions that have hardly been answered. What happens after Metrolinx takes over LRT? Do we still maintain OC Transpo in its current form, even though half of its job is being done by another agency? Can we afford to keep OC Transpo as is, or will there be a slimmed-down version? And more importantly, who do riders complain to if LRT fails again, as it certainly will. Would it be OC Transpo, which no longer has operational control, or someone in downtown Toronto? Who will stand up for riders?

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Municipal funding for the new hockey arena at LeBreton Flats would normally be a big issue. As would funding for the new Civic mega-hospital. Cities such as Calgary and Edmonton have contributed to their new hockey arenas, and some Ontario cities have dug deep to help fund new hospitals. There is a strong case to be made for the city to contribute to both, but Sutcliffe has already said no, and that will be that.