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And the winner is…

2 April 2012 3 Comments

Last year around this time I wrote a blog on Mayor Jim Watson (A good Watson versus a great Watson). I stated I know that he would be a good mayor but asked can he be a great mayor. I still can’t say that I think he will be a great mayor.

Since his election in 2010, he has yet to define the kind of city he wants to preside over. What will Ottawa be transformed into over his tenure as mayor? Over the past year, the only legacy he has been able to secure is that he will raise property taxes close to 2.5% every year of his mandate. There has been no grand plan for the four year term he earned in 2010. As 2014 approaches, voters may be able to say, nothing terrible happened with Jim Watson as mayor but Ottawa residents won’t be able to point to anything great either.

Last night the Mayor, basking in the lights and fanfare of the Juno Awards, tweeted that he is already lobbying to bring the Junos back in 2017, Canada’s 150^th Anniversary. It reminded me of my 2011 blog where his goals were to secure amateur sports tournaments for the city. Is that what the Capital of Canada is about: one off events that allow city councillors to leave their wards and look like star struck fans of people not from Ottawa?

Ottawa residents want more. Ottawa residents demand more. Where is the plan to upgrade and sustain the infrastructure within our city limits? Where is the city plan allows residents to move freely and cost effectively from are community to the next? What is the defining character of Canada’s Capital from which mega projects stem? Ottawa needs to move from tactical initiatives to strategic initiatives.

Last night, Mayor Watson has proven again that he will show up to the opening of envelop. But it’s time for the Mayor care less about the opening of a glitzy envelope and care more about the envelopes (i.e. bills) that arrive in our mailbox. So far, the winner is…NOT average Ottawa resident.

3 Comments »

James O'Grady said:

Blake,

High profile one-off events like the Junos are good for tourism and the local economy, but they don’t make a ‘plan’. The City needs a real plan with vision to move it into the 21 Century. I don’t believe that plan can be made without the direct input of the public, but unfortunately, City Hall is not interested in engaging the public meaningfully when it comes to making real decisions.

Until it does, Ottawa will continue to tread water rather than realize its full potential as Canada’s capital.

# 2 April 2012 at 10:26 am

John Rooney said:

Mayor Watson is doing a fine job.

We don’t need any great new plans at the moment.

The keys are to keep the budget in line, ensure people receive the services they pay for, turn the LRT fiasco (yes that is what it is and seems to always have been) into a succesful, affordable reality, build Landsdown Park into something special, and work on cleaning up the River named for us. That on top of managing the city infrastructure seems like a pretty big agenda to me and Mayor Watson and this council have been doing a decent job on all fronts.

I could even bring up the past Mayor and council for comparison but I really think it is not necessary.

# 2 April 2012 at 11:23 am

Kevin Shea said:

Couldn’t disagree with you more John Rooney !

Jim Watson is trying to be a ‘one man show’, and for that reason, I’m not quite sure why we need any Councillors. The Councillors might as well just resign en masse and we’ll have some pretty decent savings from their departure(s). They are all just falling in line with whatever Watson tells them to do anyway.

And you really don’t need to raise the comparison towards the last Mayor and Council John, because Jim Watson seems to be doing a fine job of raising that when he thinks it is to his benefit i.e. ” Nobody from the past could have ratified the latest 4 year deal with the OC Transpo ATU279 Union because of the lack of trust and co-operation ” .

The fact is : ANYONE could have ratified the latest 4 year deal because they gave them everything they wanted – and more !!!

The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun and CFRA cannot all be wrong – we do have a bobblehead Council, and we do have a dictator at the helm.

Kevin Shea
Ottawa

# 20 April 2012 at 11:16 am