1994 Hamilton, Ontario, municipal election

The 1994 Hamilton municipal election was a municipal election held on November 14, 1994,[1] to elect municipal officials for the City of Hamilton. Hamiltonions selected one mayor, one regional chairman, and sixteen alderman to the Hamilton City Council (two from each Ward), as well as members of both English and French Public and Catholic School Boards. Voters in the municipality also had the opportunity to cast a ballot for the Regional Chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth region.

Hamilton Municipal Election, 1994

November 14, 1994
 
Candidate Bob Morrow
Popular vote 69,638
Percentage 87.3%

Mayor before election

Bob Morrow

Elected Mayor

Bob Morrow

Regional Chairman Election

Candidates

  • Terry Cooke, 35, ran his campaign on the central issues that were raised by voters in time for the election, namely reforming government, improving policing, and redeveloping the downtown core.[2]
  • Bill Sears was formerly the Mayor of Stoney Creek and served as the Regional Chairman prior to seeking the spot in a political comeback.[2]
  • Janice Wilson was a high-school teacher who ran a campaign that sought to curb hunting in the area and wanted to slow development to preserve the region's natural spaces.[2]

Campaign

Following the retirement of Reg Whynott, three candidates entered the race to succeed him. Sitting Hamilton Alderman Terry Cooke faced off against former Stoney Creek mayor and regional chairman Bill Sears, and high school teacher Janice Wilson.

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Regional Chairman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Terry Cooke 59,740 50.02% n/a
Bill Sears 48,143 40.18% n/a
Janice Wilson 11,559 9.8% n/a
Total Votes 119,442 100%
Registered Voters n/a n/a n/a
Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Poling, Jim. "Policing, reform are top priorities, Cooke vows; 'There's a lot of work ahead,' jubilant victor
tells supporters," Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, News, A1.

Mayoral Election

Candidates

  • Michael Baldasaro, 45, spent the early portions of the campaign in the Barton Street Jail, having been convicted of marijuana trafficking. During the 1991 campaign, he advocated reducing the number of councillors per ward to one, the establishment of a police services board and a civic referendum on the legalization of prostitution and marijuana use.[1]
  • Steve Bunn, 25, was an exterminator with a local pest control company at the time of the 1991 Mayoral election. He openly admitted to being a fringe candidate, but claimed that he wanted to "present to the people of Hamilton a civic strategy touching on the various key aspects of municipal operations such as the economy, environment, commerce, tourism, etc," He campaigned on a platform of building a giant slide down Hamilton mountain, placing a tax on carp caught from Cootes Paradise and establishing a "Hamilton Hall of Fame Wax Museum".[1]
  • Paul Decker, 34, was a retail manager at a local Canadian Tire store, and presented a moderate alternative to Mayor Morrow. His platform included the creation of a six lane Red Hill Creek Expressway, increased police visibility and starting an aggressive marketing campaign promoting the city as a place of investment.[1]
  • Robert Morrow, 48, was the sitting mayor. Formerly a teacher, he had been elected to council in 1968, and won the Mayoralty in 1982.[3] His campaign focused on his experience in civic politics, redevelopment of the waterfront and reducing the size of Hamilton's city government.[1]
  • Allen Robert Skedden, 51, was the oldest candidate in the five-man race and had been on disability for a number of years thanks to his severe asthma. His platform included refusing the mayor's $85,000 salary and establishing a free breakfast and lunch program citywide. "When I was raised, a lot of us went to school hungry and that's a terrible feeling," he said in the early days of campaigning.[1]

Results

A poll released by the Hamilton Spectator and CHCH News days before the vote showed that 69% percent of respondents supported Mayor Morrow, while Baldasaro, Decker and Bunn each received 1% support. 27% were undecided or refused to answer.[4] Skedden received no support in the pre-election poll and, despite Mayor Morrow's high support rating, his approval rating sat at only 45%.[5]

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Mayoral Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Robert Morrow 69,638 87.3% n/a
Paul Decker 3,599 4.5% n/a
Michael Baldasaro 3,521 4.4% n/a
Allen Robert Skedden 1,569 1.9% n/a
Steve Bunn 1,518 1.9% n/a
Total votes 79,845 100%
Registered voters 233,000 34.27% n/a
Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Sumi, Craig. "Nice guys do finish first; Morrow back for fifth term after convincing victory",
The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 2010, Metro Section, B1.

City Council election

Ward One (West Hamilton-McMaster)

Incumbent Alderman Mary Kiss sought a fifth term, which would have made her the longest-serving female councillor in the city's history. Kiss made public safety her priority, seeking to put at least 60 new officers on the streets. She told the Spectator that, "Public safety and security is the No. 1 issue out there."[6]

The ward's other incumbent alderman, Terry Cooke, gave up his seat to seek the office of Regional Chairman, sparking a race between seven other challengers to fill the vacancy.[7]

Local businessman Marvin Caplan decided to run in the election to try to reverse some of the negative perceptions people had about municipal politicians and stayed away from making specific promises in the election.[6] Where he did provide specifics was on the issue of McMaster University students, who make up a large portion of the renters in the area. He wanted to bring students and residents of the area together to pressure university administration to crack down on absentee landlords.[7]

Cam Nolan took the step of drawing up position papers on different issues, placing fiscal prudence at the top of the list. He also put a priority on municipal reform, telling the Spectator, "I support a reduction in the number of aldermen because that shows leadership and responds to the needs of residents."[7]

Charles Renaud, a local Liberal activist and candidate in the 1991 municipal election, ran to encourage more participation among citizens in municipal government.[8]

Among the other candidates, Evelyn Myrie, a social activist, focused on policing.[8] Myrie was a notable member of the community at the time, raising money for the local St. Joseph's Hospital by running the 1993 London Marathon and was the chairwoman of the city's Status of Women subcommittee.[9] Ray Paquette wanted to encourage more business development in the city, Pat Ielasi advocated fiscal responsibility and slimming the size of local government, and social worker Emmy Weisz campaigned on long-term planning.[7]

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward One Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Mary Kiss (incumbent) 5,168 50% -1.93%
Marvin Caplan 3,706 35.84% n/a
Cam Nolan 2,500 24.18% n/a
Charles (Chuck) Renaud 2,892 21.35% -2.19%
Evelyn Myrie 1,406 13.6% n/a
Ray Paquette 1,070 10.35% n/a
Pat Ielasi 830 8.03% -1.07%
Emmy Weisz 379 3.67% n/a
Total votes 10,340 Note 1
Registered voters 25,473 40.59% -1.59%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Herron, Shaun. "Only one new face elected to city council; Marvin Caplan is the new kid in town",
The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, Metro, B1.

Ward Two (Downtown)

Sitting Alderman Vince Agro made an issue of parking in the downtown core following a parking ticket he received prior to the campaign's start at the corner of Augusta Street and James Street South. Agro told the Hamilton Spectator that, "Free parking won't solve our downtown woes, but it's a small measure of help. Parking meters were originally installed as a way of turning that space over. We've lost sight of that."[10] The issue of parking was tied into the overall theme of downtown revitalization that was a major issue during the campaign.

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Two Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Vince Agro (incumbent) 3,346 44.5% ±0%
Bill McCulloch (incumbent) 2,605 34.63% +0.9%
Helaine Ortmann 1,621 21.55% n/a
Peter Hill 1,465 19.48% -9.68%
Joel Luke 857 11.3% n/a
Daniel Ribeiro 669 8.9% n/a
Jeffrey Peller 518 6.9% n/a
Robert Clark 348 4.6% n/a
Tim A. Yates 172 2.3% n/a
Total votes 7,522 Note 1
Registered voters 26,598 28.8% -1.08%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Herron, Shaun. "Only one new face elected to city council; Marvin Caplan is the new kid in town",
The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, Metro, B1.

Ward Three (East Hamilton-Stipley)

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Three Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Bernie Morelli (incumbent) 4,849 60.63% +24.83%
Don Drury (incumbent) 4,673 58.63% +6.63%
Ron Monahan 792 9.94% n/a
John Crawford 758 9.51% +2.11%
Ted Grizzly 626 7.85% n/a
Roger Lavoie 269 3.38% +0.48
James Steven Faner 159 2% +0.78
Total votes 7,971 Note 1
Registered voters 28,994 27.5% -5.85%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Longbottom, Ross. "Grizzly growls but results bear out winners' popularity",
The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, Metro, B2.

Ward Four (East Hamilton-Barton)

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Four Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Geraldine Copps (incumbent) 5,535 65.5% -0.61%
Dave Wilson (incumbent) 4,272 50.5% +0.44%
Murray Kilgour 1,652 19.5% +2.7%
Sheldon Taylor 1,165 13.77% n/a
Total votes 8,456 Note 1
Registered voters 27,502 30.7% -4.55%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Dehart, Nancy. "Ward 4: Hard to find signs of a vote", The Hamilton Spectator,
November 7, 1997, Election Review, S10.

Ward Five (Red Hill-Rosedale)

In early October, Chad Collins, the son of one of the ward's former aldermen announced he would be seeking his mother's former seat. Shirley Collins held the seat from 1982 until being elected to the provincial legislature in 1987. She served as the Liberal MPP for the riding of Wentworth East until being defeated in 1990. A 23-year-old student at the time, Collins made completing the Red Hill Creek Expressway, restructuring the municipal government and providing support for community-based policing his top priorities.[11]

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Five Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Dominic Agostino (incumbent) 7,804 70.43% +8.03%
Fred Eisenberger (incumbent) 4,803 43.35% +17.5%
Chad Collins 3,661 33.04% n/a
Total votes 11,080 Note 1
Registered voters 28,265 39.2% -3.67%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Wells, Jon. "Ward 5: A silence over the valley", The Hamilton Spectator, November 7,
1997, Election Review, S11.

Ward Six (East Mountain)

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Six Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Tom Jackson (incumbent) 7,956 65.1% +6.55%
Bob Charters (incumbent) 5,766 47.2% +19.6%
John Smith 4,130 33.8% n/a
Charles Eleveld 1,360 11.13% +1.33%
Frederick Charles White 396 3.2% n/a
Edward Findlay 342 2.8% n/a
Total votes 12,221 Note 1
Registered voters 29,110 41.9% -4.55%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Wheeler, Carolynne. "Ward 6: Hot to finish expressway", The Hamilton Spectator, November
7, 1997, Election Review, S11.

Ward Seven (Central Mountain)

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Seven Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Henry Merling (incumbent) 8,091 56.12% +5.46%
Terry Anderson (incumbent) 6,991 48.5% +3.5%
John Gallagher 3,019 20.94% -4.44%
Carol O'Hagen 1,896 13.15% -5.39%
Warren Ellis 1,701 11.8% n/a
Alex Lolua 978 6.8% n/a
Mark Bulbrook 969 6.7% n/a
Mark Alan Whittle 382 2.7% n/a
Total votes 14,418 Note 1
Registered voters 36,319 39.7% +-%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Mentek, John. "Mixed concerns: Urban, rural issues go hand in hand for many Ward 7
voters", The Hamilton Spectator, November
6, 1997, Local News, A6.

Ward Eight (West Mountain)

Summary of the November 14, 1994 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Eight Alderman Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes  % ±%
Don Ross (incumbent) 7,171 50.4% -5.27%
Frank D'Amico (incumbent) 5,890 41.4% +1.8%
Tom Murray 4,422 31.07% -0.8%
Ron Bowman 2,641 18.6% n/a
Mike Oddi 1,813 12.7% -3.44%
Janice Tomkins 1,269 8.9% n/a
Chris Kiriakopoulos 803 5.6% n/a
Total votes 14,233 Note 1
Registered voters 31,279 45.5% +-%
Note 1: Each ward elected two aldermen and percentages are specific to each candidate, not for the overall total.
Note 2: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan.
Note 3: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)
and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
Sources: Oosthoek, Sharon. "Ward 8 voters wield a big stick: There'll be one new alderman for sure,
so candidates have to pay attention", The Hamilton Spectator, November
7, 1997, Local News, A6.

See also

References

  1. Poling, Jim. "Five in race for top job; If Bob Morrow is successful, he'll become the longest serving mayor in the city's 148-year history," The Hamilton Spectator, October 19, 1994, Metro Section, B3
  2. Poling, Jim. "Policing, reform are top priorities, Cooke vows; 'There's a lot of work ahead,' jubilant victor tells supporters." Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, News, A1.
  3. Sumi, Craig. "Nice guys do finish first; Morrow back for fifth term after convincing victory," The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 2010, Metro Section, B1.
  4. Spectator News Staff. "The Spectator; CHCH Election Poll," The Hamilton Spectator, November 8, 1994, Metro Section, B1.
  5. Peters, Ken. "Election '94; Morrow set for easy win; New poll suggests he will become Hamilton's longest-serving mayor," The Hamilton Spectator, November 8, 1994, Metro Section, B1.
  6. Herron, Shaun. "Only one new face elected to city council; Marvin Caplan is the new kid in town", The Hamilton Spectator, November 15, 1994, Metro, B1.
  7. Herron, Shaun. "Ward One; Race to replace Cooke", The Hamilton Spectator, October 22, 1994, Metro, B4.
  8. Davidson, Mike. "There are not enough women on Hamilton council," The Hamilton Spectator November 5, 1994, News, A11.
  9. "Myrie out of blocks in race for Ward 1," The Hamilton Spectator, September 6, 1994, Metro, C3.
  10. Poling, Jim. "Alderman wants parking to be free in downtown core," Hamilton Spectator, October 7, 1994, Metro, B7.
  11. "'94 Election," Hamilton Spectator, October 7, 1994, Metro, B2
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