Ferguson takes mayor's spot on the Hamilton police board

One week after Mayor Bob Bratina stepped down from Hamilton's police services board, city council found a replacement for him.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who has been acting as a temporary member of the board since the summer, will fill Bratina's seat.

The mayor resigned as chair of the board last week, citing the police shooting death of Hamiltonian Steve Mesic as a catalyst. When Mesic died, Bratina said, he wanted to reach out to the family but felt he shouldn't because he was chair of the police board. He stepped down, he said, to further avoid this conflict.

Ferguson had been a temporary member while Coun. Terry Whitehead was suspended pending an investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. The Ancaster councillor said he's pleased to be a permanent member now.

"I'm here now for a year rather than another two weeks," he said.

His goal is to ease tensions between city hall and the Hamilton Police Service board, he said. It's been a tumultuous year, from budget disagreements to the resignation of former vice-chair Jim Kay.

"You saw the tension with council," Ferguson said. "I really want to work hard to fix that on both sides."

As for who will be Whitehead's temporary replacement, Ferguson said he's heard that it won't be long before the investigation is complete.

From what he's heard, he said, "it's imminent."