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Ward 12 request sees councillors spar over HCI funds

Efforts by Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger to change the city's ward fund system before any city councillor spends the money drew some criticism Tuesday night. At issue was a request from Ward 12 Coun.
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Elected with the support of 46 per cent of voters in Greater Sudbury, Mayor-elect Brian Bigger says he already sees a new consensus emerging among the newly elected city council. Photo by Mallika Viegas.

Efforts by Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger to change the city's ward fund system before any city councillor spends the money drew some criticism Tuesday night.


At issue was a request from Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann to spend $1,600 from her $50,000 Healthy Community Initiative Fund towards the cost of supplies, venue preparation and catering for the Green Stairs Art Walk being held June 5.

The funds have been a source of controversy for years because councillors can spend the money directly in their wards. The funds were frozen earlier this year pending the outcome of a public input session. But at a meeting in April, councillors failed to approve any of the options to change the way the funds operate, despite the fact most councillors favoured reform in one form or another.

That prompted Bigger to declare he would look for ways to bring the issue back to council. While a supporter of the funds in principal, the mayor has long opposed councillors spending the money directly.

So when Landry-Altmann's motion to spend the $1,600 from her HCI came up for discussion, Bigger moved an amendment to take the money from another fund in the Leisure Services department. That way the project could still receive support, and he would have more time to introduce his reform plan.

“There are multiple accounts that are in existence that provide funding for the same purpose,” Bigger said.

But Landry-Altmann said she was under the impression the issue had been settled for the time being and the funds were no longer frozen.

“Mr. Mayor, I don't understand,” she said. “It does meet the requirements of the HCI policy.”

“I have to respectfully ask that this amendment be defeated,” said Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan, a vocal supporter of keeping the HCI fund policy as is. “It changes the whole intent of the motion ... This is not the time for us to start altering the HCI bylaw.”

Bigger said there's some uncertainty over whether the funds are no longer frozen, and while assistant city solicitor Eric Labelle said he believed they were, he said there's some uncertainty because councillors didn't explicitly pass a resolution.

“It is open to interpretation,” Labelle said.

And City Clerk Caroline Hallsworth said it was something of a grey area since councillors had rejected all the options before them.

“The current HCI policy and bylaw is absolutely still in force,” Hallsworth said. “But no decisions were made, because all the motions were defeated or lost … And council has not deliberated the freezing or the unfreezing the funds.

“It is a bit of a conundrum.”

Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier said he had no problem using another fund to support the Green Stairs event while the mayor worked on reforming HCI.

“To me, it doesn't matter where the money comes from,” Cormier said. “I don't see any harm in supporting the amendment … provided it does no harm to the event, which it doesn't.”

And Ward 11 Coun. Lynne Reynolds, an advocate of HCI reform, said she was willing to support Bigger's wish to not spend any of the funds until council can agree on how to change them.

“I for one, will respect that,” Reynolds said. “I hope you will be able to come up with something in the near future.”


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Darren MacDonald

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