Ward 6 has looked like one of the most interesting races for quite some time, as challenger Brenda Mercer got an early start against two-term councillor Wade Murray and has put together a strong campaign in the time since. So what can voters expect from the race?
Brenda Mercer - video profile - website
Mercer boasts one of the more detailed platforms of any candidate for Council, with particular attention paid to better representation, affordable housing, safety and community. Of particular note among this year's crop of council candidates are Mercer's recognition under the "safety" issue that any attempt to deal with crime needs to deal with underlying social issues, as well as her commitment to effective services as a matter of community-building.
So how much profile has Mercer been able to build for that platform? Between a Facebook group featuring 118 supporters and a video profile that's received more views than any other Council candidate other than Chris Szarka and Heather McIntyre, there are plenty of positive signs that she's been able to get her name out into the public. But it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to overcome Murray's advantage as an incumbent (and indeed one who faced a contested defence of his seat in 2006).
Wade Murray - video profile
I've mentioned a few times that several incumbent councillors are running entirely on a platform of "more of the same". But while a few other candidates have tried to run based on the council as a whole rather than standing on their own records, Murray looks to be leading the charge in that direction.
Notably, Murray's video profile is almost devoid of any content other than a vague reference to entrepreneurship and a cookie-cutter "property values and crime" message. Meanwhile, his official candidate bio focuses mostly on implementing studies which have already been carried out and his "cohesive Council" position which I've addressed before.
Endorsement
Not surprisingly in light of the above, ward 6 is probably the first of these breakdowns where I see virtually no difficulty endorsing one candidate over the others. While Murray epitomizes both the insularity and the lack of policy vision of the current council, Mercer offers up clear commitments to improve both the issues being discussed and the type of representation citizens can expect in the process. So the endorsement for ward 6 goes to Brenda Mercer.
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