The promise I won't make

As you know, a seat at the City Council table has become available due to Greg Washuta's resignation on December 31, 2013.

Since that time, there has, of course, been a lot of talk about how to fill the vacant seat. The three options are:

• appoint the third-place finisher (that would be me)
• appoint someone else
• hold a by-election

I don't think a by-election makes sense for a variety of reasons, and appointing the third-place finisher is a very common thing to do.

A number of people have suggested that I would be having the seat "handed" to me. Given that I ran a good, clean campaign, I dispute this. I worked (almost entirely by myself) very hard for the votes that I earned.

Because of this perception that I would be having the seat handed to me, though, there has been a suggestion that I should only be appointed to the seat if I promise not to run in the general election.

I will not make that promise.

And I will  not make the promise for a number of reasons:

1. City Council cannot exclude anyone who meets the eligibility criteria set out by the Elections Act and Municipal Act from running in an election. They do not have that kind of authority.
2. Anyone who would make that promise cannot be held to it. While I think it's a bad idea to go back on one's word, that's the only thing they would be doing. There are no other repercussions (save for not getting elected) for breaking that promise.
3. What if the person who would make that promise ended up doing a very good job and constituents wanted them back?
4. I do not make promises that I am not certain that I would keep.

Just as I said that I would not run in a by-election because I don't think it's the right thing to do at this stage in a term, I will not promise to not run in the general election if I am appointed to the seat left vacant by Greg Washuta.

I will not participate in something that City Council does not have the authority to do. The legality of it could even be called into question. Therefore, if City Council did try to make me promise that I would not run in the general election, I would turn down the appointment.

So, in an effort to ensure that there is zero confusion about my intentions for the general election, I went down to City Hall today and filed my nomination papers to run for the position of City Councillor, St. George's ward in October.