Politics: The Telegraph-Journal's editorial board unveils its picks for SJ mayor and council

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The Telegraph-Journal's reporters and editors have had a ringside seat on city politics for the past four years. The newspaper has covered every council session and in the lead-up to the election, we've tried to give our readers the most complete coverage possible, from candidate and ward profiles to opinion polling and a series of spirited public debates.

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Owen Boyle

Vic Fitzgerald

Gary Sullivan

Debbie McCormack

Kurt Peacock

Carl Trickey

Noel Chenier/Telegraph Journal

Joe Mott

Ralph Landers

Danny Jardine

Stephen Chase

Michelle Hooton

From the council chamber to the election campaign, three issues have dominated discussion. Saint John residents have been demanding lower taxes, accountable and effective management and transparency in government. There has been a great deal of debate among the candidates over how to achieve these goals, but little argument among voters over the need for change.

Based upon our day-to-day coverage of council, the candidates' records, the election debates and surveys of which issues matter most to Saint John voters, here is our assessment of who the strongest contenders are.

In most cases, we have chosen not to endorse the incumbent candidates, due to their voting records and the clear and sustained public demand for change.

Saint John is growing and has an opportunity to strengthen its reputation as New Brunswick's leading city. The incoming council must work together for the common goals of good governance and sustainable growth.

In the opinion of the Telegraph-Journal's editorial board, each of these men and women is worthy of consideration based on their experience, grasp of the issues and the commitments they have made to the public.

Ward 1 (west)

Owen Boyle is our clear top choice for Ward 1. He's all about getting the job done. He seems to understand that senior city staff works for council, not the other way around. He will get in the middle of civic issues but will also place an emphasis on issues in his ward, such as the deplorable condition of the streets. After years of being politically sidelined, that's what residents are looking for.

Mr. Boyle has identified the No. 1 priority: "Get city hall and council back on track.... Our taxes are going up and our income and services are going down." With that attitude and a commitment to teamwork, council has a chance of moving the whole city forward.

For the second Ward 1 seat, it's a toss-up between Peter McGuire and Vic Fitzgerald. Both would be decent choices, though we give Mr. Fitzgerald the edge based on his campaign commitments.

Mr. Fitzgerald's policy goals are to lower taxes, push for a provincial cap on property assessments and build new recreation infrastructure. He is also the strongest candidate in the ward on the need to address local growth issues, such as the lack of retail development.

While Mr. McGuire's work on the city's housing portfolio has been strong, he has had little to say on issues that affect the west side. We believe Mr. Fitzgerald has learned from his first go-around as a councillor and will be tougher in debate and in assessing city management.

Ward 2 (north)

Gary Sullivan is our first choice for Ward 2. He is intelligent and focused on his neighbourhood, yet has an understanding of the needs of the community as a whole. He's an outstanding example of how neighbourhoods can produce new community leaders when residents start working together.

Mr. Sullivan has identified reforming city management as a top priority for the city; within his ward, he has already played a key role in improving policing.

Given council's need for new voices and new perspectives, we give our second Ward 2 endorsement to Debbie McCormack.

Ms. McCormack has staying power, having run for council in the past. She stands for greater transparency and accountability. She has emphasized the need to establish performance benchmarks for city staff and employees, and says local governance is all about how services are delivered to the taxpayers who fund them.

Ward 3 (lower west, uptown, south and old east)

Kurt Peacock is our unanimous first choice. He brings intellect to the table, which could make for interesting analysis of the work done by senior managers. His knowledge of issues such as poverty and economic development, housing, community planning and environmental concerns would be a valuable addition to council's decision-making process. Case in point? His suggestion that Saint John adapt and adopt a Winnipeg bylaw that gives slum landlords 12 months to renovate or tear down their properties.

Carl Trickey is our clear second choice - a pragmatic, intelligent voice who will ask questions. Mr. Trickey has distinguished himself as an involved and informed citizen - an outspoken resident of the uptown who is capable of addressing issues that affect the entire community with insight. He argues persuasively for the need to attract businesses and people back to the city's uptown core, and is promoting lowering the tax rate as the best way to achieve that goal.

Candidates Donnie Snook and Carl Killen get honourable mentions.

Ward 4 (east)

Newcomer Joe Mott and council veteran Ralph Landers seem to be the best contenders in Ward 4.

Mr. Mott is well-spoken and incisive, and has vowed to make taxation his No. 1 priority. He has put mayoralty candidates Michelle Hooton and John Ferguson on notice that he intends to hold them to their promises to lower the tax rate. That's the kind of forceful conscience council needs.

Mr. Landers is promising greater accountability to the public, including performance reviews for senior city staff. As a seasoned councillor, he also has the experience to realize when council is being played.

Councillors At-large

There are a host of candidates competing at-large, but Danny Jardine and Stephen Chase stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Danny Jardine brings new ideas, backed by research and community knowledge. He's young, well-educated, works professionally in the field of health care, and sits on 11 local boards and committees, including Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative, PRO Kids, Fusion, and the Saint John Volunteer Centre. He has called for more action on Saint John's high poverty rate and the shortage of affordable housing; he is also strong on the need to renew vital infrastructure, from roads to drinking water. He has made public consultation a centrepiece of his campaign.

Stephen Chase offers voters experience and a healthy dose of pragmatism, particularly when it comes to accountability for how tax dollars are spent. He has called for the creation of a municipal auditor-general to serve as watchdog over the city's finances, investigating the value residents get for their tax dollars. He has already distinguished himself as a strong voice for tax reform and service improvements.

Both candidates are smart, articulate, and not particularly inclined to buckle under pressure - good qualities in councillors who must stand up for the city as a whole.

The Mayor

It's clear to our editorial board that the mayor's seat must go to Michelle Hooton. She carries some baggage from past council sessions, but nothing like the load her competitors are staggering under. She has made the strongest commitment to address taxes, good governance and transparency, and she has no conflicting ties to the old boys' club of city management and city unions.

Incumbent Norm McFarlane and challenger Ivan Court are campaigning on platforms that would only maintain the status quo. Mr. McFarlane has seemed too deferential to senior city staff, while Mr. Court seems too close to the city employees who supply the services he will be managing. Neither candidate can be counted on to deliver the significantly lower taxes, better management of city services or transparent and accountable government many voters are seeking.

John Ferguson's commitment to reform rivals Michelle Hooton's, but his run at the city's top job seems too narrowly focused on cleaning up city hall. Transparency, accountability and honesty are the minimum voters are looking for, and it is not clear what policies Ferguson would strive for after dealing with management performance and the city pension. The pension issue alone could wind up occupying most of his time.

Michelle Hooton has a well-defined policy platform based on efficiency, transparency and accountability. She's promising to bring Saint John's tax rate down to an unprecedented degree, while strengthening city services through more efficient management. She alone seems to understand that Saint John is entering a period of tremendous growth, in which it will be possible for the city to improve its governance, infrastructure and public services while reducing the bill to homeowners.

It's not revolutionary thinking, just good government - the kind Saint Johners have been demanding.