Woodstock pledges radical change at city hall

A mayoral candidate has vowed to abolish several city committees, eliminate pay bumps for executive policy committee members, and keep monthly office hours to meet Winnipeggers, if elected.

Don Woodstock said city council holds too many private meetings before public sessions of EPC, whose members are appointed by the mayor. He also alleged members of EPC, also known as the “mayor’s inner circle” get more information and special treatment for their wards.

“If the mayor cannot govern and treat every single councillor and every single ward with absolute equality, they are not a leader,” said Woodstock, who is seeking the job for the third consecutive time. Four years ago, he placed ninth out of 11 candidates. In 2018, he was fourth in a slate of eight contenders.

Provincial legislation requires the city to have an executive policy committee. When asked about that law, Woodstock said he’s confident he could successfully lobby the province to change it.

The five councillors appointed to EPC are paid $141,728.90 per year and receive a $4,000 spending account, while a base salary for a member of city council is $125,181.45. Woodstock said he would eliminate both EPC benefits to save up to nearly $103,000 per year.

“This is a job that they (are) already paid a handsome amount for,” said Woodstock, who owns a security firm.

Under the present system, some city staff recommendations and motions from elected officials can be voted on at four separate committee meetings, such as matters debated at community committees, followed by standing policy committees, EPC and city council.

Woodstock said those lower city hall votes would be removed to let city council cast sole and final votes. He said that could require city council meetings to stretch over several days, by allowing all public delegations and votes at one time.

“You could have (public delegation sessions) run for two or three or four days, five days. The people’s voices need to be heard louder. And then we have a meeting, a general meeting of council, for maybe two days,” he said.

Woodstock also vowed to hold office hours from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the last Friday of every month to meet with voters, which he said would continue through his meal times. Winnipeggers could pick up a “first come, first served” ticket for a two-minute time slot, with many problems “triaged” during that time to be followed up on later, he said.

A political expert said the candidate clearly hopes to make major changes at city hall.

“The EPC in many ways acts like a cabinet to the mayor, it’s the inner circle. Don Woodstock seems to think that the city council and the mayor’s office could function without it. Clearly, he’s taking a populist approach to this that (aims to) shake things up, save money for the taxpayers (and also) open the door for civilians to be able to converse with the mayor,” said Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Manitoba.

If a mayor succeeded in removing multiple layers of decision-making at city hall, the change could have unintended consequences, though it’s tough to predict the exact impact, said Adams.

“(When) you look at different assemblies, whether it’s the University of Manitoba senate or the Manitoba legislature or Parliament, you do have committees to look at things so … the (final decision-making body doesn’t) get bogged down,” he said.

Adams said other politicians have successfully set up regular times to meet with the public.

“I think it’s doable … Any mayor can make it a priority,” he said.

A request to interview Mayor Scott Gillingham, who is running for re-election, was not granted Wednesday.

In an email, a spokesman for the mayor’s office noted provincial law requires the executive policy committee.

“A mayor cannot simply get rid of it. That would require the provincial government to change the City of Winnipeg Charter,” wrote Colin Fast.

Fast noted city committee meetings are public, livestreamed and recorded and said getting rid of EPC and other committees would leave fewer chances for the public to weigh in on city hall decisions.

“Major cities across Canada use committees because they are a practical way to deal with a large and complicated workload. They give councillors time to look closely at issues, ask questions and hear directly from residents,” wrote Fast.

Gillingham did alter EPC after winning the 2022 mayoral election by reducing its size to six members from seven.

He also opted against the so-called “EPC+2” practice, through which former mayor Brian Bowman named a deputy mayor and acting deputy mayor who didn’t sit on EPC. Critics claimed that created a voting block of nine politicians, which allowed the mayor to easily win key votes among council’s 16 members.

Election Day is Oct. 28. Ten candidates are running for mayor.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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