Community engagement and a possible return of online voting were two of the hot topics hot topics of discussion at the Ward 4 town hall Thursday night.
About 100 people gathered at Taylor Evans Public School to listen to the seven candidates running for council in the city's most western ward, the final one to hold a town hall meeting.
Incumbents Christine Billings and Mike Salisbury are seeking reelection. Challengers are Indu Arora, Peter Hamtak, Eli Ridder, Brendan Clark and Matt Saunders.
While candidates shared similar views on most of the questions asked, including on dealing with the city's growing drug issue and the need for more affordable housing, they weren't quite as agreeable when it came to the topics of community engagement and online voting.
It didn't take Hamtak, a former councillor who was elected in Ward 6 in 2003 to 2006, to go on the offensive. Several times he took the opportunity to lash out at the current council, including on the issue of online voting.
In response to the question of whether they supported online voting, Hamtak said he was definitely in favour of it, then went on to say that there were members of council opposed to it because the "block got overturned last time because more voters turned out," referring to the 2014 election when online voting was used.
Salisbury took exception.
"Mr. Hamtak, your assertions are not only incorrect, they're offensive," Salisbury said when it was his turn with the microphone.
Salisbury, Saunders and Ridder were all opposed to a return to online voting due to various concerns, including security and accountability.
Salisbury said he received five voting registration cards to his house, including one for his daughter who hasn't lived there for 10 years.
Ridder said online voting does not have a private ballot and Saunders, who has a computer engineering background, said that "secure online voting does not exist."
Arora, Clark and Billings joined Hamtak in supporting online voting.
"It's important to our democracy to get as many people as possible out to vote," Clark said.
Arora pointed out that city staff approved it before council turned it down while Billings added that "it's just more convenient."
Thursday's town hall, hosted by the Parkwood Gardens Neighbourhood Group, differed from most. There appeared to be no time limit on responses, the audience could ask questions of specific councillors if they chose and there were no closing remarks.
How to communicate with constituents drew a wide range of answers.
Arora said coffees, town halls and social media were all important.
"Canvassing doesn't have to end when the election ends," Arora said.
Salisbury said he was "old school" and preferred face-to-face interaction, admitting that he wasn't big on social media.
Billings said in addition to town hall meetings, the personal touch was best and helped get a better understanding of people's concerns.
Ridder said he had the biggest social media presence of any of the seven candidates.
"Transparency and communication is a big issue in this ward," Ridder said.
All seven candidates pumped the tires of the ward's neighbourhood groups and Billings and Salisbury were asked about access to the West End Community Centre from Elmira Road.
Billings said the owner of the piece of land needed for that and the city are moving toward a land transfer that would make access happen.
"It's not from a lack of trying over the years," Salisbury said.
Ridder said the city's homelessness situation needs to be addressed beyond temporary measures, pointing to tiny homes as a potential part of the solution.
Clark called for more city fiscal responsibility and community engagement, red light cameras and the taxing of Uber and Airbnb.
Billings cited housing affordability, increased policing and water (namely the mediation with the Dolime quarry) as key issues.
Hamtak talked of preserving the suburban way of life ("safe suburban home") people in Ward 4 enjoy and said the current council is "too often disrespectful of your views and your finances," saying some on council have "weird ideas" on how we should live.
Salisbury said how we manage the city's growth without losing what makes Guelph unique is a key issue.
Saunders said "we can do better at council than we have in the last four years."
"It's not a competition between the seven candidates sitting here," Saunders said, "it's between two competing visions."
There is one town hall still on the local calendar, a Ward 5 and mayor's event on Oct. 16 at Harcourt United Church beginning at 7 p.m.
