As it often does, it was the subject of taxes that raised the temperature in the room at Monday night’s mayoral debate.
Hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, the debate was a fast-paced affair in front of a packed gallery at Guelph City Hall.
Over 20 submitted questions were asked, responded to and rebutted: everything from ‘where do you stand on backyard fire pits?’ to ‘how do we increase recycling compliance rates?’
It wasn’t until the final question of the night that things heated up.
Candidates Aggie Mlynarz and Cam Guthrie were asked what their plans for property taxes and other levies were for the next four years.
Guthrie, speaking first, focused on the savings and efficiencies of the ongoing and future service reviews being done of various departments, including transit and waste services.
Those reviews are essential in keeping taxes low, Guthrie said.
Several times the mayor pointed out that those service reviews were initiated “under my leadership.”
“If we don’t look at continuing the service reviews, then we’re not being respectful of the taxpayers dollars to begin with,” he said. “It’s important that we have the leadership here at city hall that is going to continue those service reviews.”
Mlynarz shot back that service reviews at city hall were happening long before Guthrie became mayor.
“Service reviews are nothing new in this city, a number of them were initiated in the previous administration,” Mynarz said.
Mlynarz said that taxes will go up in 2019 to help make up for money that was moved from one "savings account to another," referring to the city's special infrastructure reserve.
She called the money juggling “smoke and mirrors.”
Guthrie rebutted that service reviews that were attempted under the previous administration “never went anywhere” and that complete service rationalizations that were initiated in the past did not create the “culture of continuous improvement” that the service reviews initiated on his watch have.
“The service reviews that were tried to be completed under the previous administration, they never went anywhere. There was about two years of work trying to get that started in the manner that they are now implemented under my watch,” Guthrie said.
“It’s a culture that began under the previous administration,” Mlynarz retorted.
The evening began with opening remarks.
Mlynarz opened with the statement that she was running because she did not “believe in the process of acclamation and I don’t believe in consolidation of power.”
She said she received about 50 phone calls asking her to run either for councillor in Ward 6 or for the position of mayor.
Guthrie pointed to the millions saved both now and in future efficiencies during his term as mayor.
“Citizens continually agree that Guelph is already on the right track,” Guthrie said of what he’s hearing at the door.
Time restrictions on answers and rebuttals kept things moving quickly.
The issue of retail marijuana sales in Guelph, a hot topic at last weeks debate at the Italian Canadian Club, came up again.
Guthrie said there is constantly new information coming in and the plan now is for the city to engage stakeholders and be ready to make a decision on whether or not to opt in on allowing retail pot stores on Jan. 22.
Mlynarz said she was in favour of a one-year consultation process recommended by city staff at one point before council votes on the issue.
Guthrie said staff has told him that they can be ready by Jan. 22.
Mlynarz managed to get in a dig about Guthrie campaigning with other candidates again, during a back and forth on a question about how the candidates would ensure unity on council.
The competitor said Guthrie was trying to consolidate power prior to the Oct. 22 election.
Guthrie reiterated his stance that he is doing so in order to be transparent after some councillors and council candidates have misrepresented themselves at people’s doors in regards to where they stand on some issues, aligning themselves with Guthrie.
Guthrie was also critical of Mlynarz for bringing up information on his not signing a leadership charter that he said was from an in-camera council meeting.
“That’s completely incorrect,” Guthrie said, but added that the fact it involved in-camera information, he couldn’t fully respond.
While the information may have been from an in-camera meeting, Mlynarz got it from a GuelphToday story earlier this fall when it was revealed by outgoing councillor Karl Wettstein in an interview.
Some of the other questions posed:
On increasing recycling compliance: Guthrie said better communication and education was needed and is going to be done; Mlynarz agreed, but added that the education needs to start with young children and people need to understand the bigger picture of recycling so they understand how complex it is.
One thing to improve Guelph Transit: Mlynarz said a consistent arterial route and Sunday night service for industrial areas; Guthrie also said that expanded routes to the employment areas, including the Hanlon Creek Business Park, were needed, both for existing businesses and also to help attract new business.
Online voting: Mlynarz is against it, saying it isn’t secure; Guthrie said he supports secure online voting and will be looking to reinstate it for the 2022 election.
On the Guelph Hydro/Alectra merger: Guthrie said nothing was “given away” and it will mean lower rates and increased dividends for the city; Mlynarz expressed concern that it would result in less control over green power initiatives.
Dedicated funding for walking/cycling infrastructure: Both said yes.
