Marceau decries media bias at mayor's debate

The gloves came off Wednesday night at the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce mayoral candidates debate.

Lynne Bennett, Jeff Marceau, Vic Fedeli and Tim Wright participated in the event, held at the Clarion Resort-Pinewood Park.

Many issues were talked about, including the city debt, property taxes, economic development, tourism and leadership ability.

But some politely delivered bashing also found its way into the proceedings.

North Bay Fedeli Times
Marceau started with a jab apparently aimed toward baytoday.ca and The Nugget, the inference being the two media outlets favoured one mayoral candidate in particular.

“I’d like to wish a warm welcome to the members of the press, the people from Cogeco, the radio and the reporters from the North Bay Fedeli Times,” Marceau said during his opening remarks.

“Can you tell that I’m happy about the equal coverage that we’ve all received?"

Marceau said he’d thought each candidate would get “a fair shake” from the local media.

“But I’ll tell you, I’ve had a rude awakening in the last few months, the likes of which I hope you’ll never experience.”

Tickets going on sale soon
Later Marceau took a swipe at Fedeli while answering a question from the audience about North Bay’s 10,000-foot runway.

“Fedeli should start jogging on it,” Marceau said.
Fedeli quickly pointed out he’d lost 22 lbs over the last month.

Moderator Greg Estabrooks intervened, saying he was preparing a squared circle in the lobby for “Marceau-Fedeli 2, and tickets will be going on sale soon.”

Ironically Marceau said he agreed with many of the things Fedeli was saying during the debate.

Attracting small business
Each candidate gave a speech, then answered questions submitted by the chamber and those asked by audience members.

Marceau alluded to Fedeli’s plan to sell land from the city’s industrial park at $1 an acre to attract industry.

“Our land is one of our natural resources and I don’t think that giving it away is a good idea,” Marceau said.

Rather than look towards senior levels of government “or for a white knight to solve all our problems,” Marceau said, more attention should be paid toward attracting small business to North Bay.

And on speculation there could be a tax increase in the city next year, Marceau said a few current councillors seeking re-election had been “bragging” about the 66 per cent industrial tax cut they’d help implement.

“But I don’t remember hearing about tax breaks for homeowners or small business owners,” Marceau said.
“So when you want my opinion on further tax increases for the citizens of North Bay, all I can say is not on my watch.”

Link would attract millions of dollars
Tim Wright unveiled some planks of his platform, including encouraging manufacturers of snowmobiles and ATVs to set up plants in the city, and opening a marine-rail link between North Bay and Georgian Bay via the French River.

“That link would be critical because it would attract millions of dollars of tourism business for our economy, and support hotels, restaurants, and small businesses,” Wright said.

Fedeli said all decisions city council would make under his leadership would have to be measured by three guidelines: social, economic and environmental.

He pointed to North Bay city hall as an example of what happens when those three guidelines aren’t followed.

The building was originally designed to include underground parking, Fedeli said, which was eliminated as a cost-cutting measure before construction began.

“They only looked at economics, and now we’re stuck with a parking problem around city hall that plagues us to this very day.”

Simple solutions often simplistic
Fedeli also reiterated his 2020 Vision plan to eliminate pay and perks for people sitting on the city’s agencies, boards and commissions and transfer those funds into other programs; to sell surplus city land; and to institute a grant accessing program which would help local residents access provincial and federal funding.

Bennett made veiled negative references to Fedeli’s plan, particularly those parts dealing with economic development and attracting industry.

“Experience has taught me that what seem to be simple solutions are often simplistic solutions,” she said.

“We are competing with every other community for industry, but I don’t want this to be a race to the bottom. We’re not going to be giving away the store,” Bennett said.

She added that the Moody’s Investment Service had increased North Bay’s bond rating, and that economic development could be achieved through community development.

"That's the problem"
The subject of the city’s finances figured prominently in audience questions when one person asked Bennett, council’s budget chief, what the municipal debt was.

Bennett said she hadn’t brought the information with her, but she did say capital debt had gone down by about $5.6 million, and that the city was on a 20-year plan to reduce its debt.

Fedeli said he wasn’t the budget chief, “but I do know the debt is $32 million.”

Adding in items like the water filtration plant and the city’s commitment to the new North Bay Regional Health Centre, Fedeli said, “some people at city hall tell me it will be $70 million, others $90 million. And I can’t find two people who can give me the same number, and that’s the problem.”

The subject of the city’s bond rating was also brought up again during the question period.

Worth celebrating
Bennett said the increased rating was good for North Bay since it allowed municipal borrowing at a reduced interest rate.

Wright agreed saying the increased rate is “important.”
“Things are turning in the right direction for the city, and that’s worth celebrating,” Wright said.

Fedeli said the bond rating is deceptive because “it’s not a corporate score card,” but an indication of how well the city pays down its debt.

“The city raised taxes 10 per cent in two years to pay its debt and Moody’s raised the rating by two per cent. Maybe with another tax increase that rating will increase even more.”

Politically motivated
One audience member brought up the Air Base Property Corporation, which Fedeli had once chaired.

He said taking over the former CFB North Bay hangars has led to a local aerospace sector and 225 jobs at Voyageur Airways.

Marceau challenged Fedeli about the jobs, saying Voyageur was in North Bay even before the hangars had been acquired.
“Without those hangars,” Fedeli said, “those jobs would have gone to Sault Ste. Marie.”

Wright chimed in at that point, saying he believed Fedeli’s appointment as chair had been “politically motivated.”
He didn't elaborate on what he meant.