Mayor Steve Parish
Council and committee attendance: 50/54, Regional council 10/13, Regional committee 29/39
Expenses and travel: $13,973.26 (Local), $4,508.04 (Regional)
Last year: B
This year: B
This past year, Mayor Steve Parish has fought the big battles, but mostly suffered defeat.
He lost the fight to stop Rouge Valley Health System from moving in-patient mental health beds from the Ajax hospital to Scarborough, he couldn't persuade Regional council to redistribute seats to better serve fast-growing communities such as Ajax and failed to draw fellow Regional councillors to his side on growth issues in Durham.
Still, we give Mayor Parish credit for sticking to his principles and fighting the fight. His campaign on the growth plan was particularly well organized and he may yet taste victory on the issue if he's won the Province over.
Mayor Parish had one major gaffe this year when he offered to contribute $100,000 from Ajax's slots money to a fund for cycling networks in other municipalities. However, after being called out on the issue, he acknowledged his mistake.
Mayor Parish's administration is a well-oiled machine with frequent opportunities for public feedback at forums and on the Town's informative website. Overall, the Mayor gets an A for effort, but it's results that count, so for that reason we give him a B.
At the Region, Mayor Parish has spent the past year fighting Regional issues, specifically the Growing Durham report. He fears it will lead to urban sprawl and make it easier for developers to convert employment lands to residential uses. He also fought, unsuccessfully, for another Regional councillor for Ajax.
Ward 1 and 2 Regional Councillor Scott Crawford
Council and committee attendance: 51/54, Regional council 13/13, Regional committee 24/39
Expenses and travel: $2,973.48 (Local), $3,146.65 (Regional)
Last year: B
This year: B-
Coun. Scott Crawford is an approachable everyman, but he can come across as scattered. For example, when composting in schools was brought up, he failed to clearly explain the Region's role in garbage collection to fellow councillors who weren't aware that the Region's job is to serve the residential sector, not the schools. A member of the Region's works committee, he breaks with fellow Ajax councillors in supporting the process moving incineration forward, but has indicated safety is a priority for him. He should consider submitting his Regional council reports in writing, as Coun. Jordan does, to make them more accessible for people who don't attend the meetings. As well, he often chats with other councillors during meetings, cracking jokes when his microphone is turned off, which is distracting for those who have the floor. Ajax is no longer a small town and Coun. Crawford would be well served to bring a bit more professionalism to the table.
Ward 3 and 4 Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan
Council and committee attendance: 53/54, Regional council 13/13, Regional committee 24/29
Expenses and travel: $5,096.83 (Local), $6,373.09 (Regional)
Last year: C+
This year: B
She's known for her tireless efforts advocating on behalf of children, the environment and the poor.
Although her voice is often at odds with Regional council, she always states her case, including her desire for a ban on corporate and union donations to councillors. She fought hard for residents of her ward whose basements were flooded last summer, though the end result wasn't all they could have hoped for.
Coun. Jordan was in the room when Mayor Steve Parish let his tongue run and offered up Ajax money for regional cycling paths, but she said nothing at the time. However, she did so at a subsequent Ajax meeting and we hope at future meetings her reactions are a little quicker. In Ajax, Coun. Jordan always brings good information to the table and thoroughly updates council on Regional happenings.
At the Region, Coun. Jordan focuses on social issues.
Ward 1 local Councillor Shaun Collier
Council and committee attendance: 43/54
Expenses and travel: $5,608.56
This year: B-
Last year: B-
Coun. Shaun Collier's the money man on council, most frequently asking questions about finances. However, his questions often come off as academic rather than practical as he never truly fights for tighter purse strings.
For example, Coun. Collier has questioned whether the Town should be seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification on projects like the Town's new operations centre. He speculated the Town could include environmental features without shelling out thousands for LEED certification. However, he didn't go as far as to advocate abandoning the certification process.
A little more passion from him would surely create a better debate on the issues.
Ward 2 local Councillor Renrick Ashby
Council and committee attendance: 54/54
Expenses and travel: $6,750.56
This year: B+
Last year: N/A
This is Coun. Renrick Ashby's first official grade and for a rookie, he's doing just fine and he gets the perfect attendance prize to boot.
Last year we said he used the early part of 2008 to get to know the job after winning a by-election for the seat. Since then, he's become a more confident voice on council, particularly on planning issues as he himself is a professional planner. He asks practical questions and isn't afraid to give developers a tough time. For example, at a recent meeting he questioned whether the garages on proposed homes were really wide enough to fit two cars as stated.
As his length of time on council increases, so will our expectations of him to tackle a variety of issues.
Ward 3 local Councillor Joanne Dies
Council and committee attendance: 53/54
Expenses and travel: $8,178.51
This year: C+
Last year: C+
Coun. Joanne Dies is always pleasant and polite, but she did not make her mark on council this year as we have a tough time recalling her taking a leadership role on any issue. We elect our councillors to improve our communities and it would be nice to see Coun. Dies bring more ideas to the table. Sometimes her speculation can head in the wrong direction. At a recent committee meeting to discuss a planned pavilion for the Greenwood Conservation area, she made a motion to look into environmentally friendly straw bale walls. Although her concern for the environment is nice, it would have caused lengthy delays to a project that was ready to go. She's got lots of time before the next round of municipal elections and we look forward to seeing her take more of a leadership role.
Ward 4 local Councillor Pat Brown
Council and committee attendance: 54/54
Expenses and travel: $8,969.22
This year: A
Last year: A
Coun. Pat Brown attends more public events than any other councillor.
In some cases she's there in the mayor's stead, as she was at a recent ceremony welcoming new citizens in Ajax when Mayor Steve Parish had to split his time with another event.
Last year, she was in the thick of things as councillors fought to stop the closure of in-patient mental health beds at the Ajax hospital. This fall, she's organizing events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate including a reunion for veterans who served on the HMS Ajax.
For her tireless work in the community, we put Coun. Brown at the head of the class.
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