100 days later: Mayor reflects on his job so far

Looking back on his first 100 days as mayor, Mayor Keith Hobbs says he wouldn’t have done anything different.

Hobbs took the mayor’s chair Dec. 6. While the learning curve has been steep for the former police association president turned first-time politician, the experience so far has been a good one Hobbs said.

"It’s been great so far," Hobbs said Friday afternoon in his office at city hall.

The biggest learning experience for him has been the recent municipal budget process. Campaigning on a zero per cent increase, Hobbs lost several amendments during the process to bring the budget down from its eventual 1.27 per cent jump.

"I realized loud and clear that you only get one vote as a mayor. You don’t get 13," he said.
He said he is also disappointed that the first phase of the waterfront development project is experiencing millions of dollars in overruns, but the city is trying to find ways to recoup some of that money. So far though, the mayor said he really wishes the $126 million lawsuit with Horizon Wind Inc. would have been settled by now.

"I would’ve liked to have seen the wind farm issues long gone.”

The highlight for Hobbs tenure so far has been the Special Olympics.

"I think it taught us something about overcoming obstacles," he said.

Hobbs and city manager Tim Commisso returned from a visit to Fort Hope earlier this week. While talking to band and community members in the remote, far north First Nations community, Hobbs said he realized the city needs to make more inroads into places like Fort Hope.

While they discussed positive changes to the region, such as economic development, the mayor said discussions also touched on drug and alcohol abuse.

Fort Hope even offered financial assistance to Thunder Bay for a detox facility, he said.

"Some of their challenges are our challenges because a lot of their people move to Thunder Bay.”