Campaign Mayoral candidates trade accusations as heated words fly

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SAINT JOHN - With four members of the outgoing council engaged in a very close race for the mayoralty, many observers predicted there could be fireworks at a candidates' debate Friday night.

Coun. Ivan Court, left, makes a point during Friday night’s often heated debate at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School involving the five mayoral candidates. With him, left to right, are Coun. John Ferguson, Deputy Mayor Michelle Hooton, Mayor Norm McFarlane and Aliant employee Mike Richardson.

Those predictions became reality in a way not many might have expected as incumbent Mayor Norm McFarlane squared off against Deputy Mayor Michelle Hooton and councillors Ivan Court and John Ferguson and newcomer Michael Richardson.

While defending himself against allegations by Hooton that he threatened her into rescinding a motion that was related to the controversial tax concessions for the liquefied natural gas plant, McFarlane also accused Court of hypocrisy on the issue of transparency. The mayor alleged calls to Court's campaign office on the west side are being answered by staff of Saint John Lancaster MLA Abel LeBlanc, who are on the provincial government payroll.

McFarlane vehemently denied he ever threatened Hooton, while Court said his campaign is using empty space in the same building as LeBlanc's constituency office, but that his own campaign workers are taking calls. Court shot back that he wouldn't take lessons on transparency from McFarlane, who had closed-door meetings with Irving Oil officials.

Hooton was the first of the five candidates to pledge a reduction in the property tax rate and she vowed to make it competitive with towns in the Kennebecasis Valley, where the rate is about 50 cents lower than the city's 1.795 per $100 of assessed value.

McFarlane noted that commitment would cost city coffers about $25 million in revenue annually and he said Hooton's own campaign literature also pledges about $40 million in new development. McFarlane said if she could convince him that the $65-million swing was realistic, he would vote for her.

Hooton explained that the additional revenue the city would receive from the anticipated billions of dollars in energy hub development would more than make up the lost revenue, but McFarlane was unconvinced.

Court renewed his call for any temporary housing created during the energy boom to be converted into affordable housing after the construction is complete, a suggestion that drew considerable applause.

He also stated his support for his own version of the P3 - "People, people, people."

The three-term incumbent from the west side would also open the budget consultation process to include input from citizens and community groups.

Ferguson, who is at the centre of a lawsuit involving comments he made about the city's troubled pension plan, said the plan must be reviewed.

"Would you put water into a bucket full of holes?" he asked the standing-room-only crowd at the St. Malachy's Memorial High School auditorium. He also renewed calls that performance reviews and benchmarks be put in place for senior staff at City Hall and called for more transparency around council decisions.

Ferguson also pointed out his fellow candidates who are on council did not support his request that the city hire an independent ethics commissioner.

Hooton said a reduction of the tax rate is her top priority - "If we can't bring down the tax rate now, we never will-" followed by achieving clean, safe drinking water.

She said the city has before it a once-in-a-generation opportunity with the coming boom to improve the quality of life. She wants more public participation on community boards and commissions and would like to see the budget process made more transparent.

McFarlane spoke of the successes the city has achieved in the four years since his election. He spoke proudly of council's co-operation with other levels of government on harbour cleanup and said it was time to move on to the next big project - clean drinking water. He said the city's development into the region's energy hub were the result of his strong leadership and said much of the talk about a tax rate reduction is simply "rhetoric" that can't be properly explained.

He ended his statements by asking a simple question: "Are you and the city of Saint John better off today than you were four years ago?"

Richardson took advantage of the numerous squabbles between his rivals to underscore his contention that a wholesale change must occur at the top.

During one of the more heated exchanges, he simply said, "I think everybody can understand why I'm running for mayor. Just like you, I'm tired of the same antics and political behaviour. We need a fresh new direction and I'm offering you that."