Sam Katz | |
---|---|
42nd Mayor of Winnipeg | |
In office June 22, 2004 –November 3, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Glen Murray |
Succeeded by | Brian Bowman |
Personal details | |
Born | Samuel Michael Katz August 20,1951 Rehovot,Israel |
Nationality | Canadian |
Political party | Independent |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada |
Alma mater | University of Manitoba (BA) |
Occupation |
|
Samuel Michael Katz OM (born August 20, 1951) is a Canadian businessman and former politician who was the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 2004 to 2014. [1] He is the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and a member of the Order of Manitoba. He was the president of the short-lived National Basketball League.
Katz was born in Rehovot, Israel. He emigrated to Winnipeg in November 1951 as an infant with his parents, Chaim and Zena Katz, and his older brother, David, and was raised in North Winnipeg. [2] Shortly after graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Manitoba, he opened a retail clothing store in Brandon, Manitoba. [2] Throughout his career he continued his entrepreneurial ventures in real estate and entertainment. [2] His entertainment company, Showtime Productions Inc., brought artists such as Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney, and musicals such as Evita , Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera to Winnipeg. [2] [3]
In 1994, he brought professional baseball back to Winnipeg with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who now play in the American Association. [3] Through this franchise, he arranged for the construction and success of Shaw Park in 1999. [3] Katz was also founder of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Field of Dreams Foundation, [4] an organization that has donated more than a $900,000 to children's charities and non-profit organizations in Manitoba. [5]
On June 22, 2004, Katz was elected mayor of Winnipeg, [2] beating Dan Vandal, Al Golden, and MaryAnn Mihychuk and receiving 42% of the vote. [6] This came after Glen Murray's resignation as mayor to run in the 2004 federal election. [6]
Katz was reelected in the 2006 elections with 61.60% of the vote. He was elected to a third term in the 2010 elections with 55% of the vote. [7]
Katz assumed the role of Secretary of Urban Aboriginal Affairs in 2008. [8] In 2009, Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) President David Chartrand and Sam Katz launched “It’s My Community Too”. [8] Katz pledged $3 million for aboriginal youth over three years beginning in 2009. [9]
Katz created the Mayor's Seniors Advisory Committee in 2007. [10] [11] Katz also created the citizen-led Police Advisory Board. [12] Councillors Jenny Gerbasi, Mike Pagtakhan, Harvey Smith, Lillian Thomas and Dan Vandal voted in opposition to this board because it meets behind closed doors. [13] In 2009, Katz hosted Mayor’s Symposium – A Sustainable Winnipeg. This symposium was a surprise to some residents because Katz has been critiqued for his approach to the environment and sustainability. [14]
In 2005, Katz cut the business tax by 20%. [15] Katz created a Special Events Marketing Fund for conferences and special events. [16]
First, the Mayor's Red Tape Commission recommended 30 recommendations to cut red tape. [17] [18] One of the recommendations of the commission was to implement 311. It was operational by January 2009. [19] [20] Expenditures have been posted on Winnipeg.ca since 2007. [18] [21] In 2009, Katz unveiled Plan Winnipeg, a 25-year blueprint for the future. [22] [23]
In 2008, Katz committed to a 20% reduction in corporate municipal greenhouse gases. [18] [24] In April 2009 a Mayor’s Symposium – A Sustainable Winnipeg was held and kicked off www.speakupwinnipeg.com, a collaborative approach to city planning that is socially, environmentally and financially sustainable. [14] [25]
The Province of Manitoba and The City of Winnipeg negotiated a new infrastructure agreement with the Federal Government and the Provincial Government that included an increase of $50 million over two years (2006–08). [26] Katz endorses the use of P3s (Public, Private Partnership) to fund roads, bridges and paths. This method is reported to have ensured the Charleswood Bridge project (completed in 1995 during Mayor Susan Thompson's term) was built on time and on budget. (Katz had nothing to do with the Charleswood Bridge project, which long preceded his involvement in City Hall.) [27]
In 2009, Katz pledged to keep property taxes in Winnipeg frozen for the 12th straight year. [9] The policy was applauded by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, but has been criticized by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which, in their 2010 Alternative Budget, said "the semblance of a property tax freeze is only made possible with less transparent tax increases to pick up the slack of fiscal irresponsibility." [28]
Katz supported an indoor soccer facility in The City of Winnipeg. [29] Although controversial, he also championed having a waterpark in Winnipeg. [30]
Katz welcomed a bylaw enacted in 2005 to restrict aggressive panhandling. [31] He also committed to alternative options for at-risk youth including participation in sports and activities in community centres as a preventative measure. [32] In 2007, Katz appointed Winnipeg Chief of Police Keith McCaskill. [33] Katz increased the Winnipeg Police Department budget from $140 million to $160 million, which is 20% of the Operating Budget. [34] Operation Clean Sweep became a permanent entity, which is supported by the established permanent Street Crime Unit. [35] After touring New York City, Katz was interested in the creation and implementation of Crimestat, an interactive system to provide up-to-date information to help protect citizens. [36] [37] Katz supported a graffiti control bylaw to stop the sale and possession of spray paint to minors. [38] Katz supported a Winnipeg auto theft suppression strategy as a way to crack down on auto theft. [39]
Construction of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor started in summer 2009. [40] A transit strike was averted in 2008. [41] Katz has said that Winnipeg should take full advantage of being the mid-continent trade corridor. [42]
Katz was the subject of criticism after a P3 deal was tabled and provisionally accepted a 30-year deal with Veolia to manage Winnipeg's waste water.
After referring to Winnipeg's five female Olympic medal winners as "beautiful females" whose close-up presence made him "feel like Hugh Hefner", [43] Katz was criticized by a women's studies professor at the University of Manitoba. Reaction from the citizens of Winnipeg was mixed. [43]
Katz is the target of humour in a song by The Consumer Goods. [44] Their song "And the Final Words are Yours, Sam Katz" was entered in medium rotation at a number of local radio stations and offers Katz ironic sympathy for the difficulties of running "a city, a business and a baseball team", the use of Malathion for mosquito fogging, and a military training exercise (Operation Charging Bison). [44]
Katz also came under fire from the city's French-speaking population after removing a bilingual requirement from the criteria for awarding a restaurant license on the Esplanade Riel bridge and backing away from earlier promises to help fund a French-language theatre. [45]
Six days before the Winnipeg City Council voted on the city's operating budget, Katz revised it. This drew criticism from councillor Jenny Gerbasi and the Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Adrienne Batra. [46]
Riverside Park Management is a nonprofit organization founded by Katz in 1997 to create a leasehold stake in the proposed CanWest Park stadium that eventually housed his Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team. [47] Katz continued his involvement after being elected mayor and when a property tax controversy arose was accused of conflict of interest as he was both Mayor of Winnipeg and president of Riverside Park from August 2005 to April 2008, while the two sides were engaged in a financial dispute. [48]
A 2013 city-commissioned report on the construction of new fire halls alleged that Shindico, a Winnipeg-based commercial real-estate developer, received the contract due to favouritism. [49] According to CBC News, the developer was granted building rights after previous correspondence between Shindico and the former fire chief, Reid Douglas, despite being the highest bidder. Katz in particular was criticized due to his long-standing relationship with Shindico, of which he had partial financial ownership until 2013. Katz said his financial ties to Shindico had been severed, and denied any allegations of favouritism or involvement in the fire hall contract. [50]
Immediately after the report was published, multiple city councillors asked for Katz's resignation due to the fire hall situation. Katz's friendship with Phil Sheegl, the former City of Winnipeg Chief Administrative Officer who negotiated the fire hall contract, received substantial attention. Katz stated that the councillors were entitled to their opinions but that he would not resign. [51]
Shortly after the fire hall report was released, an opinion piece written by a volunteer was published by the Uniter, the University of Winnipeg's main student newspaper. [52] The piece, which criticized the mayor's handling of the fire hall, resulted in Katz's suing the university, the Uniter and the author of the piece. [53] Katz said he was seeking an apology, as he knew that the Uniter did not have the funds necessary for a financial settlement. The university stated that it believed its involvement in the lawsuit was an error, given that it had no editorial oversight of the student paper. [54] As of February 6, 2014, the case had not been heard in court.
In 2002, Katz was presented with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. [3] In 2003, he received the University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2004, he was given the province's highest honour, the Order of Manitoba, for demonstrating an ability to improve the social, cultural and economic well being of Manitoba and its residents. [4]
Sam was married to Baillie, with whom he's had two daughters (born in 2001 and 2005). [55] Katz began divorce proceedings with his wife on October 26, 2006 – one day after his reelection. [55] Katz is married to Leah Pasuta.
Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
---|---|---|
Sam Katz | 99,015 | 42.51 |
Dan Vandal | 55,644 | 23.89 |
Allan Golden | 34,562 | 14.84 |
MaryAnn Mihychuk | 23,412 | 10.05 |
Garth Steek | 16,497 | 7.08 |
Gordon Kirkby | 1,986 | 0.85 |
Shirley Timm-Rudolph | 801 | 0.34 |
Nelson P. Morrison | 528 | 0.23 |
Natalie Pollock | 453 | 0.19 |
Total valid votes | 232,898 | 100.00 |
Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
---|---|---|
(x)Sam Katz | 104,380 | 61.60 |
Marianne Cerilli | 38,227 | 22.56 |
Kaj Hasselriis | 22,401 | 13.22 |
Ron Pollock | 4,444 | 2.62 |
Total valid votes | 169,452 | 100.00 |
Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
(x) Sam Katz | 116,308 | 54.8 |
Judy Wasylycia-Leis | 90,913 | 42.8 |
Brad Gross | 3,398 | 1.68 |
Rav Gill | 1,775 | 0.8 |
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. As of 2021, Winnipeg had a city population of 749,607 and a metropolitan population of 834,678, making it Canada's sixth-largest city and eighth-largest metropolitan area.
Gary Albert Doer is a former Canadian politician and diplomat from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served as Canada's ambassador to the United States from 19 October 2009, to 3 March 2016. Doer previously served as the 20th premier of Manitoba from 1999 to 2009, leading a New Democratic Party government.
Glen Ronald Murray is a Canadian politician and urban issues advocate who served as the 41st Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1998 to 2004, and was the first openly gay mayor of a large North American city. He subsequently moved to Toronto, Ontario, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Toronto Centre in 2010, serving until 2017.
Daniel Vandal is a Métis Canadian politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Winnipeg in 2004, coming in second to Sam Katz. He briefly served as acting mayor of Winnipeg following Glen Murray's resignation. On October 19, 2015, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital in the House of Commons of Canada. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and as of November 20, 2019 serves as the Federal Minister of Northern Affairs in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. On October 26, 2021, he was also named Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister responsible for the Prairies Economic Development Agency of Canada.
Gregory Francis Selinger is a Canadian former politician who served as the 21st premier of Manitoba from 2009 until 2016, leading an NDP government. From 1999 to 2009 he was the Minister of Finance in the government of his immediate predecessor, Gary Doer. Selinger was the member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for St. Boniface from 1999 until his resignation in early 2018. His party was defeated by Brian Pallister and the Progressive Conservatives in the 2016 Manitoba general election.
Peter James Maloway is a Canadian politician, who has served as a member of both the House of Commons of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Klazina Judith Wasylycia-Leis is a Canadian politician. She was a Manitoba cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley from 1986 to 1988, and was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from September 22, 1997, to April 30, 2010. In 2010 and 2014 she was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Winnipeg.
Hugh Daniel McFadyen is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. From 2006 to 2012, he was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, and Leader of the Opposition in the Manitoba legislature. Following his party's loss in the 2011 election he announced that he would resign as leader as soon as a new leader is appointed. McFadyen officially resigned on 30 July 2012.
The Winnipeg Police Service is the police force of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Franco Gaetano Luigi Magnifico is a businessperson and politician from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He represented the St. Boniface ward on Winnipeg City Council from 2004 to 2006.
Lillian Thomas was a city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 1989 until her retirement in 2010. She served on the council initially for Elmwood, and later for its successor ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.
Russ Wyatt is a Canadian politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He represented Transcona on the Winnipeg City Council from 2002 to 2018, and is the incumbent. And at times he served as a member of the city's executive policy committee. His father, Reg Wyatt, was a councillor from 1983 to 1986.
The municipal government of Winnipeg is represented by 15 city councillors and a mayor elected every four years.
The Canadian province of Manitoba held municipal elections on October 25, 2006.
The 2006 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 2006 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Riverside Park Management is a non-profit organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that manages real estate properties including and surrounding Shaw Park, home to the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club.
Scott Bradley Fielding is a former Canadian politician. A city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 2006 to 2014, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2016 provincial election. On September 10, 2019, Scott was re-elected as the Member of Manitoba Legislative Assembly from Kirkfield Park. On June 6, 2022 he announced on Twitter that he resigned from Cabinet and will not be seeking re-election.
Winnipeg RT is a bus rapid transit system of Winnipeg Transit in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, currently consisting of the Southwest Transitway. Future expansions are in the planning stages, consisting of an Eastern Corridor connecting downtown to Transcona and a West-North Corridor connecting St. James with Downtown and West Kildonan.
Brian Thomas Douglas Bowman is a Canadian politician who was the 43rd mayor of Winnipeg from 2014 to 2022. He was first elected in the 2014 municipal election and was re-elected mayor for a second term in October 2018, increasing his plurality from 47% in the last election to a majority of 53%.
The 2021 Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership election was held on October 30, 2021. The internal party election was called as a result of Premier Brian Pallister, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, announcing his resignation on August 10, 2021. As the Progressive Conservative Party had a majority in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, their new leader would automatically become the 24th premier of Manitoba.