Unseated Sudbury city councillors say goodbyes at last meeting

Ten Sudbury city councillors, including Mayor Marianne Matichuk, bid farewell to council at Tuesday night's meeting.

It was the final city council meeting for 10 out of 13 city councillors after the city's Oct. 27 election.

In that election, some of the city councillors were voted out, while others, including Mayor Matichuk, decided to step aside.

Matichuk, who served for four years as mayor, said she will never run for municipal politics again and that it would take a "lot of convincing" for her to try to break into federal or provincial politics.

Still, she called it a bit of a "bittersweet day."

"I'm sure my trips to the supermarket will be a lot shorter," said Matichuk. "It won't be a three hour loaf of bread run."

Mayor Matichuk, the city's first elected female mayor, will be succeeded by Brian Bigger, who won with 46.32 per cent of the vote.

Only two incumbent councillors, Joscelyne Landry-Altmann and Evelyn Dutrisac, were re-elected in this year's election. The third returning councillor, Al Sizer, was selected as an interim city councillor to fill a vacant Ward 8 seat ahead of the election after the death of Fabio Belli.

As each member of city council spoke last night, there were kind words for their fellow councillors and staff and dedicated community volunteers.

But there were some parting shots as well.

Seventeen-year council veteran Ron Dupuis spoke to those who have spoken against council, both at the ballot box and anonymously online.

"People have criticized this council, but you know what? Every time they turned their taps on, fresh water came out," said Dupuis, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last week.

Several outgoing councillors, took one last chance to defend the $50,000 Healthy Community Initiative Funds that each councillor has to spend in their wards. Critics, including some on the new council, dismiss them as "slush funds" and have vowed to scrap them.

"I can't leave without talking about HCI. HCI made things happen," said Kett, who urged the new council to tweak, but not "destroy" the funds.

Many also made veiled references to the four years of strife between city council and Mayor Matichuk, including her frequent sparring partner, Councillor Landry-Altmann.

"Marianne... interesting four years," she said.

City councillor Doug Craig made some very short remarks to end his 19 year political career.

"I guess I'll look for a job, I don't know what I'll do," he said.