Windsor city council report card: Irek Kusmierczyk - Ward 7
CBC Windsor grades the politicians on their performance, at halfway point of their 2014-18 term
Grade: A-
Kusmierczyk struck the right balance, frequently taking a stand against the mayor without being a naysayer. He was critical of the Riverside pedestrian tunnel, Detroit Grand Prix sponsorship and selling alcohol at Adventure Bay. He's tops among councillors in using the internet to communicate with the public. Not technically a rookie, but still getting up to speed at city hall. Kusmierczyk has a lighter committee workload than most.
Attendance record: 92.31% (108 of 117 meetings)
Salary: $41,534.81
Travel expenses: $2,450.21
Social media: Makes good use of his website, irek.ca. Posts how he voted on items after each city council meeting. Used Twitter to update residents during flood. Posts on Facebook semi-regularly. Interacts with public on both. Has a LinkedIn profile.
Proud of:
- Support for proposed mega-hospital
- Investments in transit
- Opening east end community pool
To-do list:
- Investing in infrastructure
Quote: "I think residents expect council to work together, work as a team. I think we've done that on major issues. Of course, there's also debate, and there's differences in terms of policies and priorities, but I think residents also like the fact that ideas are debated vigorously at council."