City councillor will push to scrap Hamilton LRT committee

A Hamilton city councillor will try to get council to reconsider having a special body to deal with the light-rail transit (LRT) project this month.

But at least one of her colleagues wonders if it's a "back door" way to try to overturn LRTin general.

Judi Partridge, councillor for Ward 15 in Flamborough,is skeptical of LRT. Next week, she'll try to get two-thirds of council to reconsider having a special LRTcommittee to implement the $1 billion project.

Partridge says she wants LRT matters to come to the general issues committee (GIC), which includes all city councillors. GIC meeting agendas and presentations are posted on the city website, and LRT subcommittee meetings aren't, she said. So this would be more transparent.

"In my opinion, the time is right for all councillors to be part of the LRT meeting discussions," she said. "The LRT transit project is one of the most important city issue that residents want to be fully engaged in.I believe moving the issue to be dealt with at special GIC meetings will achieve that."

Jason Farr, Ward 2 councillor and chair of the LRT committee, says LRT subcommittee decisions come to GIC and city council anyway, where they're often discussed again. The committee just means everyone doesn't have to sit through hours of debate.

He also wondered why he didn't know this was coming.

"Is there something we did, as her teammates, on this subcommittee that doesn't work for her?" he said. "As a courtesy, I would have loved to have heard that from her."

Two thirds of council would have to agree to reconsider the committee, which has met for about a year. And that will likely be a tough sell.

• Hamilton at risk of having to repay $70M if it rejects LRT, mayor says
• Packed council chambers as LRT issue gets public airing

Already this term, council has voted to establish a committee, set up an office and sign a memorandum of agreement with Metrolinx, among other votes to move it forward.Last month, municipal lawyer George Rust D'Eyesaid11 of 16 council members would have to vote to reopen the issue to kill the project. And six members are staunchly pro-LRT.

One of them isSamMerulla, a Ward 4councillor,whowonders about Partridge'sintention. He hopes sheisn't trying to find a "back door" to reopening the LRT decision.

"I hope her intent wasn't to be disingenuous," he said.

Coun. Terry Whitehead of Ward 8, who is also skeptical of the LRT project, doesn't see Partridge's moveas an attempt to thwartthe project. It's just making sure everyone is in the loop. If there's no committee, all the information will come directly to council.

"There are a number of councillors who want more involvement," he said. "I think it's a positive thing."

• Two-thirds of city council would have to vote to reopen the LRT debate

samantha.craggs@cbc.ca | @SamCraggsCBC