Mayor Jim Watson is appealing for unity in new council
Posted Dec 4, 2018 03:40:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ottawa city councillors are excited to get started in their new jobs.
The city's next term of council was sworn in Monday night at the Shaw Centre, downtown.
Seven new faces will be seated at the council table, along with 16 returning councillors.
One of the major issues that will be discussed during the first council meeting are retail cannabis stores. Another hot button topic is the 2019 city budget.
During his inaugural address, Mayor Jim Watson acknowledged that everyone won't always agree on everything, but he appealed to his council colleagues for unity.
Three of the seven new councillors were on the 1310 NEWS' Rick Gibbons Show Monday, where they spoke about what they're expecting in the first few days of council.
One of the newcomers, Capital ward councillor Shawn Menard says he's “eager to talk about the budget and fixing infrastructure.”
Theresa Kavanagh for Bay ward says her approach for the first few days involves “learning, reading and asking questions” and Glen Gower of Stittsville ward told 1310's Rick Gibbons he is “diving right in.”
The first Ottawa city council meeting is at 10 a.m. on December 5.
