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City council critic launches his campaign for mayor

The GSTA supported many policies of current Mayor Marianne Matichuk, and Melanson supported Matichuk's candidacy in 2010.
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Dan Melanson, seen with his wife, Claire McChesney, files papers Tuesday morning to run for mayor of Greater Sudbury.
The GSTA supported many policies of current Mayor Marianne Matichuk, and Melanson supported Matichuk's candidacy in 2010. However, he said Tuesday that he was disappointed with what's happened in the last four years, stopping short of directly criticizing Matichuk.

While he respects her and still considers her a friend, he said the last four years have not brought about the sort of reforms residents voted for in the last election.

“Not much has changed at city hall,” Melanson said, adding the “tax and spend” mentality hasn't changed.
“The city is broken.”

He concluded within the last week it was time for him to “to run for mayor of Greater Sudbury.” The release of the Sunshine List — which showed a surge in the number of city employees making $100,000 or more — was the trigger that convinced him to run.

When he supported Matichuk in 2010, Melanson admitted he didn't understand how local politics worked, and watched with frustration as Matichuk lost vote after vote at city council. He has since realized the mayor's job requires the sort of people skills he has demonstrated throughout his career in the aviation industry — skills he said Matichuk was not able to bring to the table.

“She was untested in the political arena,” he said. “It was a hard lesson for her, as well.”

Matichuk ran on a business friendly platform that called for such things as city trailer parks and other non-essential city assets to be sold, recall legislation, deregulated store hours and minimal tax increases. But she failed to garner support among councillors, many of whom complained she didn't talk to them or make any real attempts to get their support.

Unlike a premier or prime minister, mayors have little formal executive power to get their agendas passed at city council. So while more popular with the public than council as a whole, Matichuk failed to get her agenda passed, and placed the blame squarely on city council.

But Melanson said he understands a mayor has to work with council to get their support — just as the mayor has to find ways to support councillors when possible. While some on council may view Melanson as harsh and mean, he said the reality is something entirely different.

“I know some people view me as an ogre, but that's not the case,” he said. “I'm a make-things-happen kind of guy.”

In his four decades in the aviation industry, he's learned to deal with big egos and difficult personalities, he said, describing himself as a team player and a team builder.

When asked about previous vows to not run for office, Melanson said he's learned “you should never say never.”

“I guess I had a weak moment in a psychotic episode,” he quipped, about his decision to run. “(But) it's the right thing for me to do.”

He said he still respects Matichuk, and if she decides to run against him, it will make for “lively debate.”

The municipal election will be held Oct. 27. Three other candidates have filed papers to run for mayor: Ward 5 Coun. Ron Dupuis, newcomer Jeff Huska and perennial fringe candidate Ed Pokonzie.

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Darren MacDonald

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