Mayor's committee shuffle shuts urban councillors out of most key roles

Urban councillors have once again beenshut out of the finance and economic development committee (FEDCO), along with mostother leadership positionsup for grabs Friday.

First-termCoun. Glen Gower, who represents the Stittsville ward,beat out second-term Coun. Catherine McKenney of the downtown Somerset ward as FEDCO'smember-at-large. Another first-term councillor, Innes ward's Laura Dudas, was recommended as vice-chair.

• Choice for transportation chair 'Watson Club' at work, councillor says
• Analysis: Secretive process leaves urban councillors on sidelines

A special meeting of FEDCOand the nominating committee led by Mayor Jim Watson met Friday to fill the vacancies onseveral committees and boards created when Coun. Tim Tierneywasnamed transportation committee chair.

When he accepted that role, Tierney said he'd be stepping down from his other positions, including vice-chair of the city's planning committee, chair of the library board, andhis seat onFEDCO.

Gower was also given the mayor's stamp of approval to be the vice-chair of planning, over Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, who's been on the committee for the past five years.

Orlans Coun. Matthew Luloffwas recommended as the chair of the library board.

Coun. Mathieu Fleury was voted down as the recommended new member of the board of the Shaw Centre, even though the facility is in his Rideau-Vanier ward. The position went instead to Coun. George Darouze of the rural Osgoode ward.

Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King was named chair of the built-heritage subcommittee the only urban councillor to be named to a leadership position.

Council must approve the new appointments at its meeting next Wednesday.

Menard challenges mayor

At the end of the brief meeting, Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard asked the mayor why he's kept urban councillorsoff the finance committee.

"How do you justify not appointing members from huge swaths of regions onto the financial decision-making board here in the city?" said Menard.

Watson responded that every councillor can weigh in on decisions during council meetings.

"The simple answer is that all decisions we make at this committee level go to all of council, and every region of council is represented [there]," said the mayor.

When Menardtried to press his point, Watson adjourned the meeting.

It's difficult to escape that conclusion.- Coun. Jeff Leiper, when asked if the mayor has a grudge against urban councillors

Asked whether he was purposely keeping core-areacouncillors off FEDCO and most leadership positions, Watson said that not everyone can be a chair or vice-chair of a committee.

He then dismissedthe issue as an "inside-the-bubble debate."

"We're all politicians, and when you lose a vote, you're generally not happy," said Watson. "But I've learned a long time ago, you've got to move on there'll be an opportunity to look at all of these appointments at mid-term governance."

Domino effect started whenBlais stepped down

Leiper told reporters that the subject of representation on FEDCO and in leadership roles in general isn't an inside-baseball debate.

At bakesales, skating parties, even on transit, "people talk to me about this," Leiper said.

When asked if the mayor has a grudge against urban councillors, Leiper said it was "difficult to escape that conclusion."

• Blais stepping down from chair's role to focus on byelection

The committee shuffle all began when Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blaisstepped down as transportation committee chair to run for a seat in the provincial by-election.

Even though he's the vice-chair of that committee, Leiper was passed over for the position of chair. Instead, it went to Tierney, who wasn't on transportation a move Menard referred to as the "Watson Club" at work.

Although urban councillors had supported Leiper,Tierneysaid earlier this week he doesn't hold that against them.

"Unfortunately this isn't anything new. It is politics," said Tierney."I think at the end of the day, people have seen my track record with the central library, they know I've been on council quite a bit of time now, and I have a good grasp of the file."