Harmony-seeking mayor dumps Mayes from EPC after 11 years

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This article was published 24/07/2024 (449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s mayor has made a change to his inner circle by removing St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes from executive policy committee.

Mayes, who served on EPC for 11 years under three mayors, is no longer the chair of water, waste and the environment.

“I think it’s important from time to time to refresh the executive policy committee, and I do want to express sincere appreciation to Coun. Mayes,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said Wednesday.

Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) will replace Mayes as chair, while Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) joins EPC as chair of community services.

Councillors Sherri Rollins (property and development); Janice Lukes (public works) and Jeff Browaty (finance and economic development) remain in their positions.

Gillingham announced the shuffle months before changes are typically made to city hall committees, and while Mayes is in Atlanta for meetings related to water and waste — the file he’s overseen since returning as chair in 2020.

“I’m down here on taxpayer money meeting with people, trying to do research on green infrastructure, which to me is very important,” Mayes told the Free Press. “The timing is unfortunate, but I had a good run.”

Mayes has served on EPC since 2013 under the appointment from former mayor Sam Katz. He served under former mayor Brian Bowman as water and waste chair between 2015 and 2018 before a stint as property and development chair until his return to the portfolio in 2020.

Gillingham was elected mayor in 2022.

Only former councillors Bill Clement and Jae Eadie served on the executive committee longer than Mayes.

Gillingham said he appointed Santos because the ward she oversees is downtown, has some of the highest poverty rates in the city and has a “deep passion for community services.”

“And I think she’ll make a really great contribution to our executive policy committee,” he said.

Gillingham responded to a question about his decision to remove Mayes by saying it’s crucial to have committee members fall on the same side of issues.

“Getting housing built in the City of Winnipeg to meet our ever-growing needs for housing is very important to me. I want to see people, to the degree possible, be aligned,” Gillingham said.

In November Mayes voted against zoning changes to access federal Housing Accelerator Fund cash, but last month voted in favour of infill guidelines that address demand for new housing while preserving established neighbourhoods.

“You should be able to handle some different opinions,” Mayes said Wednesday, citing motions his colleagues have voted against in recent months. “There’s always been some flexibility.”

New appointee Santos said she guessed the difference in opinions led to Mayes’ ouster.

“It’s time for some change and an inner-city voice at the table,” she said.

Santos said she’ll push for more recreation funding and has already been briefed on the responsibilities of the community services chair.

“(Gillingham) knows recreation is an important component of lifting people out of poverty…. I appreciate the mayor’s opportunity to give EPC an inner-city lens,” she said, adding it has been a long-term goal to get a seat on EPC.

Mayes’ said his parting desire for EPC is to advance the file on the environment.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca