Tank: Saskatoon council candidate up to lose $100K a year

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Serving on Saskatoon city council is often and accurately depicted as a steady diet of grief for comparatively poor pay.

So it’s difficult to imagine that someone would give up nearly $100,000 a year to join council.

But that’s exactly what Scott Ford wants to do. Ford, the executive director (or second in command) at SaskTel Centre, has entered the crowded race to represent Ward 8 in November’s city council election.

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Ford’s salary for 2023 is listed as $169,601; city councillors made $73,314 last year.

“I was looking for a new challenge in a position where I feel my experience can make a difference,” Ford said in an emailed response. “I also really care about this city.”

Provincial rules require city employees to take a leave of absence to run for office and resign their position if elected. Ford confirmed he intends to follow that course.

City archivist Jeff O’Brien said seven council members have been elected after working for the city, including two who were elected mayor. Most recently, Jim Maddin ran for council in 1997 after retiring as a police officer and was elected for a single term as mayor from 2000 to 2003.

Ernie Cole, who also served one term as mayor from 1965 to 1966, had worked as a city engineer prior to his mayoral run. Tommy Lennon was also elected to council in 1972, the same year he retired after 25 years as the city’s fire chief.

In a reversal, former mayor John McAskill resigned after four years in 1958 to take the position of city commissioner, the predecessor of the position of city manager today.

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Ford is running in Ward 8 against Darren Abrey, Henry Chan, Prathamesh Kale, Malvina Rapko, Ron Mantyka (who finished third in this ward in 2020), Peggy Schmeiser and Kevin Zarycki.

HISTORY MAKING

History seems assured no matter which of the five candidates is elected mayor this year. Former broadcaster and current two-term city councillor Cynthia Block would become the first woman elected mayor of Saskatoon.

Either former mayor Don Atchison or former Saskatchewan Party cabinet minister Gord Wyant would become the oldest person elected mayor. Bert Sears, who was 65 when he was elected mayor in a 1972 byelection, currently holds that distinction.

Wyant would become the only Saskatoon mayor elected after serving in a higher level of government. Atchison would become the fifth Saskatoon mayor to return to the office, joining James Clinkskill, Alexander MacGillvray Young, John Sproule Mills and Sid Buckwold.

Even if Atchison wins, Mills would still hold the record for longest time between mayoral terms at 15 years.

If either Cary Tarasoff or Mike Harder wins, they will become only the third mayor to win office without serving on council first, joining Cole and Angus MacPherson.

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Harder’s rambling campaign website is marred by poor grammar and fails to include any biographical information. But it does feature a 70-point rant on the Saskatchewan Party government, with one blurb titled “testicular fortitude.”

Of the 46 candidates running for spots on council, 10 are women. Nominations closed on Wednesday.

BOYCHUK’S BACK

Get ready for a rematch of 2020’s closest race. Business owner Kevin Boychuk has registered for a rematch with veteran incumbent Darren Hill in Ward 1. Hill squeaked by with 56 more votes four years ago.

Boychuk also ran in the 2021 federal election for the right-wing fringe People’s Party of Canada — which could diminish enthusiasm for him, even with Hill’s controversial last term.

Right-wing blogger and trucker Trent Lalonde, who had announced his intention to challenge Hill, apparently abandoned his campaign. If Hill wins and serves out his term, he will have logged 22 years on council.

Kathryn MacDonald, Russell Nadin and Dallas Burnett are also registered to run in this ward, which has been held by Hill since 2006.

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ALM-OST THERE

Former one-term councillor Terry Alm wants to return to city council. But he made an embarrassing return to the council chamber last month.

Alm signed up to make a presentation to council on a downtown homeless shelter and posed a question. But Mayor Charlie Clark politely informed Alm that the longstanding format only allowed presentations, not questions. Alm paused and asked another question before retreating back to his seat.

Alm, who now lives in Ward 5, is running in Ward 6 after representing Ward 7 from 2003 to 2006. Alm opted against running for a second council term to become an unsuccessful Saskatchewan Party candidate in the 2007 election.

Also running in the seat Block has held since 2016 are Tony Bassett, Terry Hoknes, Jonathan Naylor and Jasmin Parker.

COYOTE CLASH

Another council veteran, Randy Donauer, is facing a challenge in Ward 5 from a former federal NDP and city council candidate, Kyla Kitzul, a Saskatoon restaurant manager who has registered to take a second run at city council after finishing fourth and last running against Hill in Ward 1 four years ago.

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Kitzul, who lives in Ward 1, was also involved in Kaitlyn Harvey’s unsuccessful campaign to become provincial NDP leader.

Kitzul finished second behind Conservative MP Kevin Waugh in the 2021 federal election. Donauer ran unsuccessfully for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in 2015.

But Donauer could face opposition beyond politics after being named in a $25-million class-action lawsuit claiming physical and sexual abuse at a private Christian school and church located in this ward. The lawsuit claims Donauer used a wooden paddle to punish a student at a church-related camp for gossiping.

Donauer filed an affidavit denying the claims, as first reported by CTV in July.

David Prokopchuk, who twice ran under the Progressive Conservative banner in 2017 provincial byelections in Saskatoon seats, has also entered the race. Tyler Knihnitski and Nick Prytula will also appear on the ballot.

Oddly, coyotes could play a role in this suburban race. In July, Donauer asked the city administration to report back on ways to deal with aggressive coyotes after several confrontations with residents. Kitzul and Knihnitski have recently posted on social media about coyotes.

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TAX-FREE FOR FOUR YEARS?

The unenviable award for the silliest statement on a campaign website — and there is no shortage of goofy statements — goes to Ward 2 candidate Jean Beliveau.

His website says: “You deserve to be tax free for four years.” And “four years” is underlined using animation.

Tax free? Really? As in no property taxes? Or no taxes at all? Is this an aspirational statement or a promise?

It’s ridiculous enough when candidates promise low or no property tax increases. Beliveau also wants to solve homelessness, addiction and crime, apparently without tax revenue.

Franklin Arthurs, Janna Horn, Fraser Kent, Karen Kobussen and Senos Timon are also running in Ward 2.

VETERANS ACCLAIMED

Council veterans Bev Dubois (Ward 9) and Zach Jeffries (Ward 10) will be acclaimed, as nobody stepped up to challenge them. Jeffries defeated Dubois in the 2012 election, but Dubois returned to council in 2016, opting to run in the ward vacated by Tiffany Paulsen.

It’s the most acclamations since 2009, when three incumbents ran unopposed: current Mayor Charlie Clark (Ward 6), Paulsen and Bob Pringle (Ward 7). If Dubois serves out her term, she will have accumulated 21 years on council. Jeffries joined council in 2012.

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Acclamations usually dampen voter turnout, which could be bad news for mayoral candidates Atchison and Wyant. Atchison, formerly the Ward 10 alderman, relied on support in the suburbs, like these two east-side districts.

Wyant, a former Saskatchewan Party cabinet minister, will also depend on voters in these suburban areas where the right-wing governing provincial party he served for 14 years has enjoyed support.

In Ward 10, public school trustee Angela Arneson has also been acclaimed, which will further discourage turnout.

Council veteran Troy Davies was the sole candidate acclaimed in 2020, but he now faces two challengers in the west suburban Ward 4: Canada Post official Courtney Saliken and realtor Numaan Shafqat.

FIVE VACANCIES

With four city councillors opting against re-election — Sarina Gersher (Ward 8), Hilary Gough (2), David Kirton (3) and Mairin Loewen (7) — and Block (6) running to replace the departing Clark as mayor, five wards are getting a new councillor.

Three candidates are vying to represent Ward 3, the fewest in any vacant ward this election.

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Mike San Miguel is running for the third time after losing a 2011 byelection to Ann Iwanchuk and then suffering a 28-vote loss to Iwanchuk in 2012. Kirton thanked San Miguel in his farewell speech at council last month for unspecified help in his winning 2020 campaign.

San Miguel will face Baptist preacher Robert Pearce and former radio journalist Devyn Gregoire. The controversial 106-bed homeless shelter run by the Saskatoon Tribal Council in the Fairhaven neighbourhood seems certain to be the main issue in this ward, with both Pearce and Gregoire pushing for its relocation.

STARTING SALVO

Justin Wiens made a bizarre, unsubstantiated claim when he announced he had officially registered to run in Ward 7 on Sept. 26. The co-owner of a Saskatoon painting business claimed without explanation on Instagram that his opponents “are just riding the coattails of past Ward 7 councillors.”

He boasted that he is not accepting “union cash,” “political favours” or “any of that ‘dirty money’.” He added, without providing proof, “If you follow the money, you’ll see that all my opponents are backed by the same old unions and people that got us into this mess.”

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A few days ago, he posted a video saying the “business tax rate” needs to be lowered, which will be interpreted by many as shifting the tax burden to residents. Wiens does not appear to have clarified how he is funding his campaign.

As far as donations go, public service unions generally only contribute to the campaigns of council incumbents.

HIs three opponents include Holly Kelleher, who served as executive director of the 33rd Street Business Improvement District from 2017 to 2019. Fellow challenger Jamie Kirkpatrick has worked for Green Blue Canada, an alliance that includes labour unions and advocates for workers, for nearly 10 years.

Edward Agbai is president of the Saskatoon Niger Delta Forum.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

ptank@postmedia.com

twitter.com/thinktankSK

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