Don Ross, former councillor, is running for Hamilton mayor

A former city and regional councillor, Don Ross, is running for mayor.

Ross, who represented west Mountain from 1985 to 1997,hasnt been in local politics for 16 years. But he said hes still knowledgeable and still capable.

A lot of my friends have talked to me over the past six months or so, encouraging me to run for mayor, said Ross, 70.

He brings an ability to create consensus on council, which doesnt exist with the current mayor, he said.

I believe theres a disconnect between the mayors office and city council, he said. As a result of that, I believe more could be done.

Ross will run against Coun. Brian McHattie, who currently represents Ward 1, as well as Crystal Lavigne and Michael Baldasaro. Current mayor Bob Bratina hasnt filed his nomination papers but has indicated an interest in the job. Former mayor Fred Eisenberger has also said he will run.

Now a resident of Ancaster, Ross represented the west Mountain during his time on council. In 1997, he chose not to run again, instead becoming general manager of Crystal Cap Cleaners. He retired in 2010.

Ross also served on a federal review tribunal for the Canada Pension Plan. He is also former chair of Banyon Community Services and current board member of Thrive.

Here are Rosss positions on some key Hamilton issues:

Aerotropolis The aerotropolis, or Airport Employment Growth District plan, will see 555 hectares slated for development around the airport. Hamilton lacks industrial and employment lands, Ross said, and he is in favour of the aerotropolis. In fact, it probably isnt big enough, he said.

Mid-Peninsula highway Ross is in favour of a highway running from Toronto to Niagara. It would be really beneficial for the region, he said.

U.S. Steel Last year, U.S. Steel announced it would permanently halt steel making in Hamilton. Ross said if he was mayor, he wouldnt wait for U.S. Steel to come to him. Id be going down to visit the president of U.S. Steel and say What are your plans for my city?

Two-way streets Ross believes in examining two-way street conversion case by case so as not to change the dynamics of downtown Hamilton. That includes looking at how they impact travel time. He has concerns about the current bus-only lane running through a portion of King Street, he said.

The election will be Oct. 27, 2014.