Hamilton Votes: Meet your new city council

Meet your new city council, Hamilton. We take a look, ward by ward, at the faces you'll see a lot of over the next four years.

Mayor - Fred Eisenberger

Fred Eisenberger has returned to the post of Hamiltons chief magistrate, defeating a pair of councillor candidates in Brian McHattie and Brad Clark. Eisenberger, 62, served as mayor between 2006 and 2010, before he and Larry Di Ianni split the vote in the 2010 election and opened the door for Bob Bratina. Eisenberger ran a careful front-runner campaignthat he said was a campaign ofpositivity.In the past four years, Eisenberger has been the chair of the Canadian Urban Institute, and has become the 57th Mayor of the City of Hamilton.

Ward 1 - Aidan Johnson

Aidan Johnson is a legal aid lawyer who has said in the past his family was driven out of Ward 1 by student housing. He was one of several candidates who resurrected the idea of licensing rental units for McMaster University students. Johnson says he lives off Locke Street South with his partner right now, and that he would stop his legal practice if voted in as councillor.

Ward 2 - Jason Farr

Jason Farr The downtown councilor and former stadium voice of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has been a fixture of the downtown vacated by the departure of Bob Bratina for the mayors seat in 2010. He is a professional broadcaster by trade, is pro-LRT, pro-cycling infrastructure.

Ward 3 - Matthew Green

Matthew Green has won a tight Ward 3 race, vacated by the late Bernie Morelli who held the seat for 22 years. Green owns a fitness centre on Ottawa Street North. On the debate of slumlords in Ward 3, Green has argued for medium density, mixed-use housing, and said the gasification plant would send Hamilton backwards. He is Hamilton's first African-Canadian city councillor.

Ward 4 - Sam Merulla

Sam Merulla has been Ward 4s councillor since 2000, under the then-newly amalgamated City of Hamilton. Hes pro-LRT and anti-casino, and has been a supporter of brownfield developments in east end neighbourhoods.

Ward 5 - Chad Collins

Chad Collins was one of the youngest ever to be elected to city council winning his seat in 1995 when he was just 24.He iscurrently 43-years-old, and also one of the longest serving members of council. He campaigned on upgrading local infrastructure for the Red Hill neighbourhood, and on his success with the citys brownfield strategy.

Ward 6 - Tom Jackson

Jackson is another long serving councillor at city hall, and ran against just one competitor in Ward 6, Dan Rodrigues. Jackson campaigned on diverting infrastructure dollars towards Ward 6, keeping seniors top of mind, and expediting road construction projects in his ward.

Ward 7 - Scott Duvall

Scott Duvall nearly ran an uncontested race, with two competitors Keith Beck and Greg Burghall stepped up to the plate just before the deadline. Duvall is a former union leader, and campaigned on attractinginfrastructure dollars to his ward, as well as improving transit for the growing mountain community.

Ward 8 - Terry Whitehead

Terry Whitehead has been the Ward 8 councillor since 2003, and, like many incumbents, campaigned on improving roads and sidewalks, but has been non-committal on LRT saying hes in support of the idea, but is looking for a cost-benefits analysis. He has spent a lifetime in politics, including being on the staff of David Christopherson, as well as being the chief of staff to former mayor, Bob Morrow.

Ward 9 Doug Conley

Doug Conley won a crowded Ward 9 race. Conley is former Upper Stoney Creek councillor (pre-amalgamation) served for nine years between 1991 and 2000, before leaving municipal politics to run in the federal election, as a Canadian Alliance candidate. He came second, and did not seek the Stoney Creek seat after Brad Clark had taken it over. He has been an international sales manager in the time since his political stints.

Ward 10 - Maria Pearson

Maria Pearson is a veteran councillor, serving the ward for the past 16 years. She his another incumbent who has campaigned on infrastructure investments, increased transit for her ward and brownfield development.

Ward 11 - Brenda Johnson

Brenda Johnson is back for her second term in Ward 11, one of Hamiltons fastest growing wards. She campaigned on her ward enjoying the lowest budget increase since amalgamation, and improvements in the Winona area.

Ward 12 - Lloyd Ferguson

Lloyd Ferguson has been Ward 12s councillor since 2006, and oversaw the redevelopment of Wilson Street. He campaigned on advocating for business developments and infrastructure improvements, including adding 403 access from Mohawk Road.

Ward 13 - Arlene VanderBeek

Arlene VanderBeek has taken over from Russ Powers in Ward 13, who retired from municipal politics, opening the door for a nine-candidate race in Dundas. VanderBeek was once a councillor in the Town of Dundas, and worked along side Powers up until his retirement.

Ward 14 - Robert Pasuta

Robert Pasuta was elected to his third term of city council in Ward 14, and has committed to completing the rural official plan, and protecting rural landowner rights through rural zoning.

Ward 15 - Judi Partridge

Judi Partridge was re-elected to Ward 15 for her second term in council. In addition to infrastructure improvements and a commitment to holding the line on taxes, Partridge has committed to a Waterdown Bypass as one of her top priorities.

Correction:

A previous version of this story listed Matthew Green as having been affiliated with the Green Party. Green has never held a membership to the party.