Bowman punts growth-fee dissidents from inner circle
Mayor Brian Bowman has shaken up his inner circle, removing two councillors who voted against his growth-fee plan from executive policy committee.
On Thursday afternoon, Bowman announced Couns. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) and Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) are now off the committee that functions as the mayor's unofficial cabinet.
Both the rookie Lukes and Browaty, a 10-year council veteran, voted against growth fees at the Wednesday council meeting. Lukes, however, went one step further than Browaty by excoriating the city for pursuing the plan and comparing Bowman's city hall to that of former mayor Sam Katz.
Lukes acknowledged she took a strong stance against growth fees, a file near and dear to the mayor.
"I'm a very forthcoming person. Maybe that could be a failure, maybe not, but I have to do what I believe in and we didn't agree on this one particular issue," she said.
Lukes said her removal will give her more time to work on active-transportation issues, adding it's always nice to have new faces on EPC.
She wound up without a major responsibility on city council, while the mayor named Browaty the new chair of the Winnipeg Police Board.
Browaty said he was excited to take on his new role but understood that two years into the current council term, it was time to make changes to EPC.
"I don't think it's a state secret there's a number of files the mayor and I don't see eye to eye on at the moment," said Browaty, referring to growth fees, rapid transit and the reopening of Portage & Main.
Bowman also promoted former police-board chair Scott Gillingham (St. James-Brooklands-Weston) to EPC as the new chair of finance, replacing Marty Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge), who takes over Lukes' old job as public works chair.
Rookie Daniel McIntyre Coun. Cindy Gilroy was also promoted to EPC to assume Browaty's old role as innovation-committee chair.
Couns. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry), Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) remain on EPC with their respective toles as property, environment and protection chairs unchanged.
Bowman also named Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) as the city's new deputy mayor, a largely ceremonial role, while Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) becomes acting deputy mayor. This is a break with tradition, as the deputy mayor has typically been a member of EPC.
Executive policy committee shuffles are customary, but not compulsory, at the mid-point of a council term. Bowman dismissed the idea Browaty and Lukes were removed for voting against growth fees, noting Gillingham also voted against that plan.
"Over the last two years, we've had members of EPC vote in a manner inconsistent with my track record and they've remained. I've also made the decision of welcoming Scott Gillingham to EPC and on that specific issue he voted against — and I respect that," Bowman said.
The EPC changes will be made official at an organizational meeting of council slated for Nov. 2. Bowman would not commit to Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma remaining speaker, stating that would be up to council.
