City Council Appoints Russ Powers to Represent Hamilton District 5 – Hamilton | The Canadian News

A veteran politician has been appointed to represent the voters of District 5 until the municipal elections next fall.

Hamilton City Councilman selected former Dundas Councilor and Liberal MP Russ Powers to fill the District 5 vacancy created by the recent election of Chad Collins as Liberal MP for Hamilton East – Stoney Creek.

Twenty-one applicants made their case for the appointment during a special council meeting on Friday morning.

Powers was elected over former Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni in a vote of 8 to 6.

“I have a wide and varied experience,” Powers said, “that would allow me to move immediately to the position of ward counselor and address the needs of the ward.”

Powers added that he hopes to address the issues that will need to be addressed by the council in the coming months, “such as the area qualification, the truck route master plan, the affordable implementation of an LRT system, provincial funding cuts to the Public Health and the Chedoke Creek Hoax “.

“Thank you to all the candidates who came forward to fill the Council vacancy in District 5,” said Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “All of the candidates who came forward for consideration presented strong grades, as well as tremendous love and commitment to our community.”

Powers was first elected to municipal office in Dundas in 1982 and represented the community until 2004, when he was elected Liberal MP for Ancaster – Dundas – Flamborough – Westdale.

After being defeated in the upcoming 2006 federal election, he returned to the city council as a representative for Dundas until he retired from office in 2014.