Hildebrand on hot seat at debate

Incumbent Ward 5 Coun. Greg Hildebrand took heat from other candidates regarding transparency concerns with the current city council during the first Brandon councillor candidate debate on Wednesday.

Ward 2 candidates Deveryn Ross and Sunday Frangi criticized the current council for closed-door meetings and a lack of transparency and communication with residents.

As the only candidate seeking re-election on the debate stage, Hildebrand said the closed-door meetings allow him to “ask extreme questions” and “test the water” before the topic reaches the public eye.

“To do that in a public forum, I think it’d be a different, difficult situation,” Hildebrand said.

Ross questioned Hildebrand’s explanation and asked why information that councillors use to make decisions is not available for the public to see.

“This isn’t a communication issue, it’s a matter of law,” Ross, a former political columnist, said during the first debate of the evening in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall at Brandon University.

Frangi, who served in the Meadows-Waverly ward — now Ward 5 — between 2021 and 2022, said he condemns council for its lack of transparency.

“I’ve been in council before and this is not the first time this discussion is coming up. And … I disagree with that, because I believe in transparency and accountability,” Frangi said.

Ward 2 candidate Sonikile Tembo, who is currently on leave from her job as principal planner for the city, said she believes the transparency issues raised by residents is caused by a lack of trust.

“I do think this conversation around secret meetings is just an indicator that we don’t generally communicate well,” Tembo said.

“I think if people have an understanding of what is going on at the council table, if people had trust with their councillors, I think this would be less of a concern,” Tembo said.

Tembo said if she’s elected, she would work to communicate more with the public and explain city topics, such as property taxes, to better engage the public.

Hildebrand said since he was elected in 2022, he has built trust with residents of Ward 5.

“There is a trust that obviously has been earned and I think as council, we need to earn that trust of our community,” Hildebrand said.

While most of the debate was tame with minimal disagreements among the candidates, a question from panellists on the reality of crime in the city’s downtown drew some differences of opinion about public safety.

Hildebrand and Tembo acknowledged that downtown crime is a problem, but said part of the issue is due to perception — that residents may feel uncomfortable rather than in danger.

“I don’t disagree that there’s crime downtown, but I think a lot of it is perception,” Hildebrand said.

“People are scared because they see things that they’re uncomfortable with,” he said.

Tembo said during her campaign, people have flagged open drug and alcohol use along Rosser Avenue, but she said that doesn’t mean there is an immediate danger to people in the downtown area.

“I feel uncomfortable, but is that person going to attack me? No,” Tembo said.

However, Ross, Frangi and Ward 5 candidate Bhavesh Patel said danger in the downtown core is a real cause for concern and not a just perception issue.

“This claim that violence is imaginary downtown” is “false” and “offensive,” said Ross, who lives in the ward.

“I have many weapons that I’ve picked up in the neighbourhood during my walk,” he added.

Ward 2 candidate Buchi Onuke, who arrived after the debate started, said he also believes crime in the downtown is a real issue.

Other topics discussed in the debate included economic development in the downtown, decentralizing social services and attracting more industry and business to Brandon.

Advanced voting began on Wednesday and continues Saturday in the Pioneer Lounge at the Keystone Centre and Oct. 22 in the main foyer at city hall. Election day is Oct. 28.

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com