THUNDER BAY – Editorial – Mayor Lynn Peterson is likely feeling singled out after losing Monday’s election to Keith Hobbs. The two-term Mayor is the only member of City Council who sought re-election who lost on Monday. One gets the sense that Mayor Peterson is taking the loss hard. As of Thursday, outgoing Mayor Peterson has not contacted Mayor-elect Hobbs over the election results.
One hopes that Mayor Peterson will move past her defeat at the polls quickly, there is still important work to be done. There are several important issues that Council must face.
Consider that the Statement of Defence in the $126 million lawsuit will have to be filed before the new Council is sworn in. It is important for Thunder Bay to have a solid legal defense in the case. There is a lot of money on the line.
It would be worth keeping in mind that incoming Mayor-Elect Hobbs, Ken Bosh off and Paul Pugh are kept abreast of this issue. It is likely that there is nothing in the Municipal Act requiring that to happen, but it would be common sense.
The City has twenty days from the date the suit was launched by Big Thunder Wind Farms to file the City’s statement of defence. The three new members of Council will be sworn in after the City files its defence, and will have to defend the decisions that the current Council will make.
Mayor Peterson has always been a hard worker, as new Mayor-elect Hobbs has already noted. Now is not the time for this Council or Mayor to slow down, now it is the time to get going.
For the sake of Thunder Bay, we should all be encouraging the entire Council, and the two new Councillors and Mayor-Elect to move forward together.
James Murray